Mom Says 10-Year-Old Daughter's Death Contributed To TikTok ‘Blackout Challenge’
Nyla Anderson, a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who was found unconscious in her home on Dec. 12, died from allegedly attempting the "Blackout Challenge" local authorities report.
Anderson was rushed to Nemours Children's Hospital but did not survive.
"I'm so hurt," her mother, Tawainna Anderson, told the news station. "This is a pain that won't go away. It's at the top of my throat. I am so hurt."
The “Blackout Challenge” is the name of a game now popular on social media which dares participants to hold their breath until they pass out from a lack of oxygen. At least three other children — Joshua Haileyesus, 12, Robert Craig, 10, and LaTerius Smith Jr., 9 — have reportedly died after attempting the game this year alone.
"You wouldn't think 10-year-olds would try this," Anderson told WPVI. "They're trying because they're kids and they don't know better," she continued.
Anderson did not say where Nyla came across the fatal game, but when PEOPLE reached out to TikTok for a comment, the company said they were remaining "vigilant" toward any unsafe content that could be seen by users.
"This disturbing 'challenge,' which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend," a spokesperson said. "We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and would immediately remove related content if found."
TikTok is absolutely correct in that regard. The “Blackout Challenge” dates back to before there was social media and has also been referred to as the "Choking Challenge" or "Pass-out Challenge". The Centers for Disease Control even has record of 82 youths dying as a result of the game in 2008.
Anderson now hopes her daughter's story can serve as a cautionary tale for other parents to monitor their children's social media activities.
"Make sure you check your kids' phones," Anderson told WPVI. "You never know what you might find on their phones."
"She was a butterfly," she added of Nyla. "She was everything. She was a happy child."
