New year, new absurd trend. If in 2018 we had to deal with, among other things, fads like the "Tide Pod Challenge"—which dared participants to eat laundry detergent pods—2019 is starting with another one that's no less controversial. It's the " Bird Box Challenge ," and Netflix is already asking its users not to participate. Can you guess what it's about?
Bird Box Challenge: Don't Do It At Home
As you know, Netflix released its new film Bird Box this December , starring Sandra Bullock. The story introduces us to Malorie, a woman who must confront a kind of final apocalypse in which a strange, invisible presence incites people to commit suicide. The film's most iconic promotional image is that of Bullock covering her eyes with a blindfold , a poster that has become very popular, among other things because the film has already become the platform's biggest premiere to date—as of December 28th, it had accumulated more than 45 million viewers.
The film's success has also led to the creation of a new viral challenge on social media. Shared under the hashtag #BirdBoxChallenge , people are uploading videos and images of themselves performing everyday household chores and other activities blindfolded, a practice that could be very dangerous in certain situations where people trip or handle objects that could be hazardous if used without sight.
https://youtu.be/ZVS_8kSxYWw
So much so that Netflix itself has had to step in and ask its subscribers not to join this trend and not to participate in the Bird Box Challenge. It did so through its official Twitter account in the US:
Can't believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don't know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you don't end up in the hospital due to memes.
— Netflix US (@netflix) January 2, 2019
The translation of the tweet would be: "I can't believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DON'T HURT YOURSELVES WITH THE BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don't know how it started and we appreciate the love, but guys and gals, we have one wish for 2019 and that's that you don't end up in the hospital because of memes."
It couldn't be clearer. So please, stop being so naive and stop these challenges , and use your head before trying these absurd ones…