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The Norseman

The Norseman

Viral trends abuse social media

At the beginning of this year, the Norseman staff looked at wide-spread movements that bring about change, such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. In looking at that, we were able to see the good and the bad of such movements; viral trends can just be that – a trend that quickly dies – but they can also be educational.

Recently, however, we’ve been reminded that some challenges rise and participants jump on the bandwagon simply so they gain followers and high views or ratings.

The infamous Kylie Jenner challenge has taken the world by storm and teens have been posting Vines, Tweets, and Snapchat stories showing off their “new look”. This temporary enhancement doesn’t come without consequences – participants run the risk of permanent bruising, scarring, and breaking of the blood vessels.

In response to this new trend, Kylie has said that she wants young girls to be themselves, but not be afraid to experiment with their looks. Instead of discouraging her fans to not partake in this challenge, she seems to have used this as a way to further promote her brand.

This isn’t the first time that we have seens trends rise that have no significant meaning. The cinnamon challenge and the salt and ice challenge, for example, also captivated teens across social media and they neglected to look at the health risks that come along with them.

Although social media does have positive aspects to it, it can also be a major platform for peer pressure. Teenagers frequently view these challenges as funny and want to be a part of the crowd, leading them to do things that they otherwise would not.

Despite this negative side of social media, teenagers should be encouraged to continue using it as long as they are doing so responsibly and thinking before they act.
– The Norseman Staff

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