What is the Penny Challenge on TikTok? Amazon's Alexa device once tasked 10-year-old with dangerous trend
SAN FRANSISCO, CALIFORNIA: TikTok has always been in news for its various challenges. A trend called the 'penny challenge' is popular on TikTok since 2020. This challenge dares the participants to create spark or an electrical fire. When the trend became popular, the authorities warned how dangerous could it be.
The penny challenge has led to creating some horrible impacts on the buildings or assets wherever the challenge occurs. It requires sliding a penny behind a partially plugged-in phone charger. Meanwhile, this is not the first dangerous trend or challenge that has appeared on TikTok.
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What are the warnings issued by authorities?
The penny challenge would require a phone charger, coin, and metal prongs and may eventually lead to a fire. When the trend was becoming viral, Louisville Fire Department Major Bobby Cooper said, “It’s simple enough to say don’t do the stupid stuff but, you gotta have a conversation and explain what the hazard is”. “What it does is cause an intense spark, and with that intense spark you get all kinds of hazards, just the intense electricity, the intense amount of heat that it can cause to create a fire.” Further he said, “It could injure a kids face, potentially an eye or ear,” Major Cooper said. “Kind of like a sparkler or fireworks so there is a tremendous amount of danger there.” Cooper also added, “There is a potential for criminal liability, if you take the steps to do it and cause the damage, you are responsible for it. It’s common sense but as you say it’s not so common," as per Wave 3.
“I’m telling you, this is dumb! You may be expecting cute little sparks from this experiment, But what you may get is a visit from a buff and handsome dude like me, pulling you from the wreckage of your once beautiful home, I’m talking real 4th of July fireworks here, all over you, and your dog, and not to mention your he-man action figures. I’m telling you this is dangerous stuff – don’t do it”, Captain Brian Tanner of the Provo Fire Department in Utah, US, told The Sun. “Most kids aren’t thinking about criminal charges or having to pay for the damage when they attempt these challenges. Most of them probably don’t think they could die from this either", the Tacoma Fire Department, in Washington, told in a previous sentence.
When did Amazon's Alexa ask a 10-year-old to do the challenge?
The challenge which began in 2020 again made headlines when Amazon's Alexa asked a 10-year-old to do this challenge at her home. The child's mother tweeted, "OMFG My 10 year old just asked Alexa on our Echo for a challenge and this is what she said."
OMFG My 10 year old just asked Alexa on our Echo for a challenge and this is what she said. pic.twitter.com/HgGgrLbdS8
— Kristin Livdahl (@klivdahl) December 26, 2021
Amazon responded in a statement to BBC, "Customer trust is at the centre of everything we do and Alexa is designed to provide accurate, relevant, and helpful information to customers. As soon as we became aware of this error, we took swift action to fix it."
What are some of the other dangerous TikTok trends?
Similar to Penny Challenge, there are other challenges such as the NyQuil Chicken challenge, Cha Cha Slide Challenge, The Blackout Challenge, Throw It in the Air challenge, etc. that are popular as some of the dangerous TikTok challenges.