Jide Ogunsanya
The viral craze of stacking milk crates in a pyramid and trying to climb them like stairs has been banned on the TikTok platform.
Searching for the trend’s hashtag “milkcrate” or “milkcratechallenge” on the tiktok app now brings up a “no results found” notice. The search results page notifies users that “this phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok’s top priority.”
However, some videos depicting the trend are still visible on the app if users search for incorrect spellings of keywords associated with the challenge, such as “milkratechallenge” or “milkcreatechallenge”
“TikTok prohibits content that promotes or glorifies dangerous acts, and we remove videos and redirect searches to our Community Guidelines to discourage such content,” a spokesperson said. “We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behavior whether online or off.”
The ban comes after several healthcare workers took to social media to voice their concerns about the trend and the danger it poses to those participating in it. In most of the videos, TikTok users are seen tumbling to the ground as they try to climb up one side of the crate pyramid, sometimes resulting in physical injuries..
Dr. Shawn Anthony, an orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai in New York, told TODAY Parents that the milk crate challenge is “very dangerous” and has already resulted in orthopedic injuries. Dr. Anthony added that anyone who attempts the challenge could risk “broken wrists, shoulder dislocations, ACL and meniscus tears, as well as life-threatening conditions like spinal cord injuries.”
Viral videos are fun, but a broken neck is not. So, better stick to those dance challenges on TikTok for now.
