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  • 16-Year Old Sets Himself on Fire…Because of an Online Dare

    The heat is on

    08.04.2014 | |

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf5HWAdaRwM

    It was pretty obvious once “viral internet challenges” started becoming a thing that they could (and would) lead to nothing good. And I’m not talking about Jimmy Kimmel’s light-hearted pranks encouraging parents to eat their children’s Halloween candy. No, I’m referring to things like The Cinnamon Challenge, The Banana Sprite Challenge, The Milk Chugging Gallon Challenge, The Salt and Ice Challenge, The Knock-Out Game, and now…

    The Fire Challenge.

    Yeah, it’s exactly what it sounds like: teenagers setting themselves on fire…for fun. Don’t believe that it’s real? Just watch a few seconds of the video montage linked above. It’s real, and a lot of true idiots are out there ensuring that viral challenges are here to stay.

    But there’s immense danger associated with all of these so-called “challenges,” and I’m not some fuddy-duddy who simply can’t understand the youth of today. This is stupidity of an entirely new dimension. The Orange County Register is reporting that a 16-year old boy was taken to the hospital this weekend with first and second-degree burns on his face, neck, and hips. The injuries aren’t life-threatening, but they’ll probably teach this genius an important lesson. Maybe. We’re talking about a teen, after all, who poured nail polish remover on his chest and then lit it on fire inside his home.

    So this is where The Internets have taken us in 2014, folks: online dares that are almost as stupid as the imbeciles who participate in them.

    Then again, maybe viral internet challenges are just nature’s way of thinning the herd.


    Matt Fox

    Senior Editor

    Fox has history in broadcasting that spans two decades. From his early days as an FM host and club DJ in the mid-90′s to his later experiences in political talk radio, he has always had a knack for combining topical news with his love for popular culture. Those experiences culminated in his position as executive producer for several radio shows featured in the TALKERS Heavy 100. Originally from New York, Fox has made the great pilgrimage down to sunny south Florida.

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