Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Grieving Dad Slams TikTok For Raking In 'Billions' After Teen Son Dies From 'Benadryl Challenge'

picture of Jacob Stevens
GoFundMe/Jacob Stevens

13-year-old Jacob Stevens of Ohio died after ingesting 'a bunch of Benadryl' as part of a dangerous challenge allegedly circulating on TikTok.

Social media is not always fun and games.

Many people have experienced first-hand the negative impacts social media can have on society—particularly young people.


Terms like “cyber-bullying” have been coined to categorize hateful speech tossed around social media platforms at individuals’ expense. But social media is showing another dark side to itself.

Challenges.

Different social media platforms have different challenges, but TikTok may be the most famous (or infamous) for these. There’s the plank challenge, the Cha Cha Slide challenge, the Pass the Brush challenge, and so many more.

But some of these challenges are incredibly dangerous.

One such is the Benadryl challenge.

In this challenge, people take an exorbitant number of Benadryl (think upwards of a dozen) in order to see hallucinations. A 13-year-old boy named Jacob Stevens recently attempted this challenge and ended up losing his life.

Watch news coverage here:

youtu.be

The Ohio teen was rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator.

Six days later, he tragically passed away.

A GoFundMe account was made for his family.

Jacob’s father, Justin Stevens, spoke out against TikTok in regards to his son’s tragic death.

"They sit back and make billions and billions of dollars."
"And I can't even wake up and say hello to my kid anymore, you know?"

TikTok also responded to the tragedy saying:

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family."
"At TikTok, we strictly prohibit and remove content that promotes dangerous behaviour, with the safety of our community as a priority.”
“We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behaviour.”
"Our team of 40,000 safety professionals works to remove violations of our Community Guidelines, and we encourage our community to report any content or accounts they're concerned about."

Johnson & Johnson, the makers of Benadryl, have also spoken out against the challenge.

“The challenge, which involves ingestion of excessive quantities of diphenhydramine, is a dangerous trend and should be stopped immediately. BENADRYL products and other diphenhydramine products should only be used as directed by the label.”

In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a statement about the challenge saying that it could cause “serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death”.

People everywhere are stunned by the tragedy.



People are also demanding TikTok be held accountable.




Hopefully Jacob’s family can find some peace.

More from Trending

Screenshot of Markwayne Mullin discussing Pete Hegseth
Fox News

GOP Senator Accidentally Tells The Truth About Pete Hegseth's 'Qualifications' In Freudian Slip For The Ages

Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin was mocked online after he accidentally called President-elect Donald Trump's Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth "unqualified" during a Fox segment, although he meant to say "Pete Buttigieg," referring to the outgoing Secretary of Transportation.

The selection of the former Fox weekend host has sparked surprise within the Pentagon, where officials have privately questioned his qualifications for the role. The extent of his relevant experience appears to be that he's an Army National Guard veteran, having served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Peter Doocy and Karine Jean-Pierre
C-SPAN

Karine Jean-Pierre Leaves Peter Doocy Red-Faced With Shady Comment At Final Press Briefing

Outgoing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had some playfully shady banter with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy during her final press briefing on Monday.

Doocy, known for being one of the most combative members of the White House press corps during the Biden administration, initially struck an unexpectedly respectful tone by thanking Jean-Pierre for enduring his questioning for more than two years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tim Kaine; Eric Schmitt
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images

Tim Kaine Rips GOP For Misspelling 'Military' In Poster Bemoaning Lowered Standards In Military

Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine called out Republicans after noticing they misspelled "military" in their presentation griping about "DEI" during the Senate confirmation hearing of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth for the Secretary of Defense position, which would put him in charge of the nation's armed forces.

Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt used the hearing as an opportunity to rail against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that the GOP has argued are discriminatory and try to address racial discrimination by disadvantaging other groups, particularly white Americans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Buttigieg
Ford School of Public Policy/YouTube

Buttigieg's Poignant Rallying Cry Not To 'Give Up' As Trump Reenters White House Has People Emotional

In remarks at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, outgoing Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg offered some poignant advice to students, telling them not to "give up" as President-elect Donald Trump prepares his return to the White House next week.

Buttigieg urged students not to give in to despair or disengage in the face of another Trump term, saying:

Keep ReadingShow less
Ilona Maher
Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Rugby Star Ilona Maher Shows Off One Of Her Lesser-Known Skills In Hilarious Viral Video

Rugby star and Olympic medalist Ilona Maher can add mad parking skillz to her resume, along with excellence on the pitch and on the dance floor of Dancing with the Stars.

Maher, who started playing for the Bristol Bears in the Premiership Women's Rugby League on January 5 after signing with them in December, shared her proud achievement of parallel parking.

Keep ReadingShow less