Research In Action
Research In Action
Social media trends increasingly shape the behaviors and risk exposures clinicians encounter in practice. As we close out the year, I wanted to bring together some of our prior posts about dangerous online trends, highlighting their potential impacts on mental and physical health, and implications for assessment and prevention. These offer clinicians context for recognizing emerging risks and integrating social media awareness into patient care.
The post outlines how street racing—a form of reckless, high-speed driving—is increasingly prevalent in urban centers like Philadelphia and contributes to speed-related crashes, serious injuries, and fatalities, with national data showing speed as a factor in a substantial portion of U.S. traffic deaths. It highlights the role of social media in normalizing and promoting these behaviors by rewarding participants with online validation, and suggests that clinicians can help by incorporating road safety discussions and addressing related risk factors in routine patient care
The post describes how nitrous oxide—commonly known as “laughing gas” and found in whipped cream canisters marketed under names like Galaxy Gas—is being misused as part of a social media-driven trend, especially among teens, to produce brief euphoric effects despite significant health risks. Although nitrous oxide has legitimate medical and culinary uses, online glorification of its recreational inhalation has led to symptoms ranging from headache and lightheadedness to vitamin B12 deficiency and even death, and has prompted platforms like TikTok to redirect searches toward substance abuse resources. The post encourages clinicians to use this trend as an opportunity to discuss social media safety and substance misuse with adolescent patients and provides poison control resources for concerned families and health professionals.
Tranquilizer Challenge, Kia Challenge, and More
The post reviews several hazardous viral social media challenges that continue to cause serious harm among youth, including the blackout challenge, Orbeez projectile games, a benzodiazepine “tranquilizer challenge,” and the Kia/Hyundai theft “Kia challenge,” each with associated risks such as injury, respiratory depression, or increased crime. It underscores how these trends persist and evolve over time, resulting in real-world consequences ranging from medical treatment to vehicle theft, and highlights the ongoing need for awareness of these behaviors.
