TikTok prohibits milk crate challenge videos due to safety concerns

TikTok has responded to the “milk crate challenge” by announcing a ban on all videos showing users attempting the latest viral craze. 

The app said this new challenge “glorifies dangerous acts,” as reported by USA Today.

“TikTok prohibits content that promotes or glorifies dangerous acts, and we remove videos and redirect searches to our Community Guidelines to discourage such content. We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behavior whether online or off,” the company said in a statement.

As theGrio previously reported, the #MilkCrateChallenge, also referred to as the #CrateChallenge and the #HoodOlympics, is the latest viral sensation making the rounds across social media platforms.

The goal, simply put, is to successfully climb over a freestanding stack of milk crates without falling. If it sounds easy, the hundreds of viral videos documenting spectacularly failed attempts may be worth a watch before trying the feat for yourself.

The most common stacking formation resembles an up-and-down staircase, standing seven crates tall at its highest point. While many have been able to survive the ascent, for several ill-fated participants, literally and figuratively, it’s all downhill from there.

What makes the challenge so difficult, per Complex’s Joshua Espinoza, is that a single standard industrial milk crate can withstand “thousands of pounds of pressure,” but stacked on top of one another they become highly unstable.

Additionally, the challenge is most commonly attempted on a grass surface, which can have uneven bumps, although it provides a slightly softer landing pad for those unable to conquer the crates.

As of Friday, per The Huffington Post, if you search for #milkcratechallenge on TikTok you’ll land on a “No results found” page and the following sentence: “This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok’s top priority.”

Meanwhile, doctors, health officals and even the FDA have weighed in on the injuries participants are risking when attempting the challenge. 

“You’re at risk for falling hitting your head and getting a head bleed. You’re breaking your neck and becoming paralyzed. When you fall you naturally extend your arm, try to catch yourself, you can break the bones in your wrist,” said Dr. Chad Cannon, the chair of the ER at the University of Kansas Health System, WDAF reported. “I think this is just a silly thing that folks are doing because… It’s just stupid.”

Conan O’Brien poked fun at the trend on Twitter, writing, “Waiting for FDA approval before I take the Milk Crate Challenge.” The FDA responded, “Although we regulate milk, we can’t recommend you try that. Perhaps enjoy a nice glass of 2% and return all those crates to the grocery store?”

The Baltimore City Health Department noted sarcastically on Twitter: “With COVID-19 hospitalizations rising around the country, please check with your local hospital to see if they have a bed available for you, before attempting the #milkcratechallenge.”

New York-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Shawn Anthony also stressed that the challenge “puts unnecessary additional stress on our health system and health care providers.”

He told TODAY.com that “injuries can include broken wrists, shoulder dislocations, ACL and meniscus tears, as well as life-threatening conditions like spinal cord injuries.” 

theGrio’s Jaelen Ogadhoh contributed to this report.

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