What educators need to know about the ‘One Chip Challenge’ reemerging on TikTok
The ‘One Chip Challenge’ is trending with students around the world – garnering over 1 billion views on TikTok. So, what is it? The rules of the challenge are simple: eat a dangerously spicy chip, and see how long you can last without eating or drinking anything for relief. There are four categories of success depending on how long you last:
1 minute = powerless
10 minutes = powerful
30 minutes = supercharged
1 hour = invincible
The chip in question is a single chip, wrapped in a coffin-shaped box that turns participants’ tongues blue. What makes this challenge stand out is that the chip is made from Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers, two of the hottest known peppers out there.
Students around the country are participating in this social media trend, and several even being hospitalized after getting sick from its heat. Due to this, some school districts have banned the One Chip Challenge from their campuses.
Why are schools banning the spicy chip?
Originally debuted in 2016 by Paqui Chips, the company has resurfaced this famous, yet dangerous, challenge on their website. On the page it states, “Do not eat if you are sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers, nightshades, or capsaicin, or are pregnant or have any medical conditions. Keep out of reach of children,” the warning reads. “After touching the chip, wash your hands with soap and do not touch your eyes or other sensitive areas. Seek medical assistance should you experience difficulty breathing, fainting, or extended nausea.”
Student safety is always at the top of mind for schools. Some school districts are leaning towards banning the chips, since some students have been hospitalized after eating the chip. As one school superintendent stated, “These extremely hot chips are being brought to school as part of a social media ‘challenge’ encouraging other students to eat one.”
According to Dr. Brett Christianson, a pediatrician at Marshall Hospital – the ingredients that make the peppers so hot are the same ingredients that can be found in pepper spray.
When ingested, they can cause a burning sensation in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach – which can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Christianson shares that, “If it was to get into the eyes or nose, it could result in a serious burning sensation there as well. Worse, if it was accidentally inhaled, which I can imagine happening if someone was to gasp when biting into the chip and noting the heat, it could lead to bronchospasm, be a trigger for asthma, or at the least, lead to severe coughing.”
TSI’s take on helping students navigate social media trends like The One Chip Challenge
While social media trends come and go, this one has been around since 2016 and recently gained traction again thanks to the magic of TikTok. Here at The Social Institute, we’re on a mission to make social media a positive environment – for everyone. One of the Seven Social Standards that we encourage students to live up to is Play to Your Core. Playing to our core means reflecting our values, character, and interests in our actions online.
While it’s fun to participate in social media trends with friends, participating in dangerous trends, such as the One Chip Challenge or boiling chicken in Nyquil, can impact our health and well-being.
Peer pressure is nothing new. In fact, 85% of high schoolers have experienced peer pressure. Equipping students with the skills they need to set boundaries and say no to peer pressure is just one way we can empower students to navigate their social world in high-character ways.
In our #WinAtSocial Grade 10 Curriculum Lesson, Respecting Others’ Boundaries and Helping Others Respect Yours, we discuss the importance of respect and setting healthy boundaries. Whether it’s saying no to doing a social media trend with friends or saying no to a social gathering, sharing with students the importance of staying true to themselves and their values is key.
Check out ways we help students Handle The Pressure, Play To Their Core, and stay safe online with our gamified learning program, #WinAtSocial.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.