NationStates

So for those who don't know what Tide Pod Challenge is, it's a YouTube trend that recently started where individuals (mainly adolescents and teens) ingested Tide laundry pods as more or less a way to "get likes and views on YouTube". Following the event, Tide responded with safety videos and advocated against the challenge, while doctors from abroad have also taken a proactive stance against the "challenge" that resulted in at least 10 deaths while countless cases of injuries. Furthermore, chemists have stated that the Tide Pods contain higher concentrated detergents and other chemicals than regular liquid detergent, such that, ingestion will result in more severe injuries (not that it is fine to ingest liquid detergents). Some experts have stated that the gelatinous and almost dessert-like (not really) appearance of the Tide Pods may have contributed to people wanting to eat them, hence, the appearance of the pods should be changed. Others have expressed concern that younger audiences may ingest laundry pods following exposure to YouTube videos or online materials that encourages people to do so. Above all, the question is, how can we effectively protect teens and adolescents from harming themselves? And how can we prevent similar events from happening?

Reference news articles:
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/17/health/ti ... index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/01/1 ... lenge.html

Please note: teens harming themselves in aim to get attention on internet is a very serious thing, please do not advocate or make jokes about this.

Sadly, there's really only so much you can do to protect people from doing stupid, dangerous shit. A lot of it probably comes down to parenting, to raise their kids to use some common goddamn sense and not do stupid shit for pointless approval. You can change the appearance of the pods to make them look less appealing, you can slap warning labels on them, you can get awareness campaigns going... but all of that is still going to be pointless so long as you've got teens and kids willing to do stupid shit for the likes/due to peer pressure.

I mean, maybe get Youtube and other video hosting services to demonetize/unlist/remove such videos, thus removing the ability for them to earn that approval, but I've little confidence in Youtube's content enforcement abilities given how often it gets abused to take down perfectly legit videos.

There comes a point where you can't protect someone from their own stupidity.

That being said, I think clear, standardized labeling of potential hazards may help. You could have graphics on the front of the package which warn you that a product is hazardous if it gets on your skin/eyes, or if it is ingested. Detailed "wall of text" warnings would remain on the back.

For really small children, childproof packaging can help to reduce accidents.

There's nothing that can save them from their own view that they're invincible.

And of course the more you tell some people not to do a thing the more likely it is that they will do it.

Bloody contrarian little asses.

When I was a kid my father taught me this rhyme -

As you go through life two rules will never bend. Never whittle towards yourself, or pee against the wind.

We could amend it to include "don't eat detergent, drink bleach, pour boiling water on your friend, text and drive, or stick your dick in a blender" but at some point it becomes redundant. People really just need to parent instead of leaving detergent out for their retarded child. If I upset anyone with the harsh reality that those idiots deserve Darwin awards then oh well. There is nothing to be done here besides hope the parents gave enough of a shit to remove their kids suicide videos.

I thought this was a fucking joke.

But I was fucking wrong.

A new pinnacle of human stupidity.

Parents should write "DO NOT EAT" in big bold letters with a marker.

All these challenges do is reaffirm that natural selection is a real thing. So in other words it's a science experiment.

The Flutterlands wrote:I thought this was a fucking joke.

But I was fucking wrong.

A new pinnacle of human stupidity.

Parents should write "DO NOT EAT" in big bold letters with a marker.

Unfortunately it is not a joke, and people are actually dying from it. Though it is stupid, I think it's necessary that we take measures to ensure that similar tragedy won't happen again.

Eclius wrote:

The Flutterlands wrote:I thought this was a fucking joke.

But I was fucking wrong.

A new pinnacle of human stupidity.

Parents should write "DO NOT EAT" in big bold letters with a marker.

Unfortunately it is not a joke, and people are actually dying from it. Though it is stupid, I think it's necessary that we take measures to ensure that similar tragedy won't happen again.

There's a limit to what can be done. If people want to eat poison then they will. Hopefully they will learn from the experience. After all, people these days have all the world's knowledge in their pocket, choosing to be stupid is their problem.

You know, I would joke that I would clean out a bottle of bleach throughly, fill it with water, and drink from it, or fill a Windex bottle with some light blue Gatorade and do the same, with the goal of starting a challenge. I would then say "but people would actually try it though."

But everytime I've said that I didn't believe it.

I mean, wow.

Fucking wow.

Nothing. Some teens are just dumb, and it's unfortunate, but we can't help that.

Major-Tom wrote:Nothing. Some teens are just dumb, and it's unfortunate, but we can't help that.

I think this is the first case, that I know of, where people are willing to poison themselves for social validation on a widespread scale.

Honestly, this is survival of the fittest in action. While I could understand it if this was young children falling for it, given their age and lack of experience, but teens certainly know better, especially given this is getting done for fleeting social media attention. I can't muster much sympathy for dumbasses, to be blunt.

Edit: Figured I'd better as well, given the proclivities of some, state I'm not happy with this development nor am I attempting to make a mockery of tragic death.

Eclius wrote:So for those who don't know what Tide Pod Challenge is, it's a YouTube trend that recently started where individuals (mainly adolescents and teens) ingested Tide laundry pods as more or less a way to "get likes and views on YouTube". Following the event, Tide responded with safety videos and advocated against the challenge, while doctors from abroad have also taken a proactive stance against the "challenge" that resulted in at least 10 deaths while countless cases of injuries. Furthermore, chemists have stated that the Tide Pods contain higher concentrated detergents and other chemicals than regular liquid detergent, such that, ingestion will result in more severe injuries (not that it is fine to ingest liquid detergents). Some experts have stated that the gelatinous and almost dessert-like (not really) appearance of the Tide Pods may have contributed to people wanting to eat them, hence, the appearance of the pods should be changed. Others have expressed concern that younger audiences may ingest laundry pods following exposure to YouTube videos or online materials that encourages people to do so. Above all, the question is, how can we effectively protect teens and adolescents from harming themselves? And how can we prevent similar events from happening?

Reference news articles:
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/17/health/ti ... index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/01/1 ... lenge.html

Please note: teens harming themselves in aim to get attention on internet is a very serious thing, please do not advocate or make jokes about this.

If I maybe completely honest (You know, without someone saying I'm trolling or flamebaiting of which I'm not, this is my honest opinion and I stand by it.). I don't believe we should be protecting anyone of whom decides it's a good idea to eat these, if humanity has reaches this new level of stupidity it might be best to let things sort themselves out. If one doesn't consider before eating one of these, "Maybe it isn't a good idea to eat this pod of which I found in the laundry room." then I believe it's their own fault and simply natural selection taking it's course. Allow it to do so and I promise we may yet see a ceasing of this level of stupidity.

NOTE:(Because I really have to say this) I AM NOT TROLLING OR FLAMEBAITING, THIS IS MY OPINION AND I STAND BY IT.

Stop treating them like children, give them something to do that's worth something to society.

Fuck I handled being homeless at twelve and in spite of some educational failings I'm better than you. (don't take that seriously)

People need to carry some of the weight of society and they need to be able to make the choice to do so.

Valrifell wrote:

Major-Tom wrote:Nothing. Some teens are just dumb, and it's unfortunate, but we can't help that.

I think this is the first case, that I know of, where people are willing to poison themselves for social validation on a widespread scale.

It's the most direct example, but the base of this problem has been going on for sometime.

Valrifell wrote:

Major-Tom wrote:Nothing. Some teens are just dumb, and it's unfortunate, but we can't help that.

I think this is the first case, that I know of, where people are willing to poison themselves for social validation on a widespread scale.

There was one where the kids were setting themselves on fire, too.

Also, to those saying "natural selection," stupidity, particularly on this level, isn't inherited, it's learned.

Okay, sure, there's some degree of memetic cleansing so these people can't teach their children these kinds of things, but they'd probably grow out of it by then.

Honestly, I think we shouldn't do anything. Just ignore them. Let natural selection sort things out.

As a small child on a Sunday lunch, I once thought it was a good idea to reach across my great grandmother's electric stove. My family explicitly ordered me not to do so. I did it anyway.

The result was an oval shaped scar on my upper arm, above my elbow. I carried that scar for years. I also never reached my hand across a stove or touched something hot ever again. I still remember the scar.

I say that to say this: kids do stupid things, and some times, the best way to teach them a lesson is to let them go through with their retardation. Of course, in this case, you should immediately intervene once they realize the stuff makes them vomit to ensure they don't swallow it, as it will literally kill them.

This is not without risk, though, so the best course of action is to tell them not to, show them that it will kill them and, if they try, administer the belt or the open palm. (If corporal punishment does not work, like it failed to do for me, withholding privileges is another excellent choice of action.)

https://www.pg.com/productsafety/sds/SD ... iginal.pdf

Here's the material safety data sheet for Tide Pods, if anyone is curious.

The Serbian Empire wrote:There was one where the kids were setting themselves on fire, too.

My older first cousin told me about that Self-Immolation Challenge. I thought he made it up.

You can't fix stupid.

You can't fix stupidly. It's horrible that some people are doing this, but idiocy will be idiocy.