Students from St Hilda’s Secondary School participated in a viral “Blackout Challenge” that prompted warnings from the Ministry of Education (MOE) and medical professionals.
A TikTok user posted screenshots on March 1, 2025, showing two male students in St. Hilda’s Secondary School uniforms attempting the challenge. One student placed the other in a chokehold until he lost consciousness, despite the victim signaling to stop by tapping his friend’s elbow. The student quickly regained consciousness afterward.
The video went viral before being removed by Tuesday morning, March 4, 2025, for unknown reasons.
MOE sent a notice titled “Keeping Our Children Safe – Addressing Online Risk Challenges” to parents through the Parents Gateway application on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 7:10 PM. The ministry did not disclose the specific time and location of the incident.
The warning addressed two dangerous online challenges: the “Blackout Challenge,” which involves deliberately causing oxygen deprivation through methods like choking, and the “Skull Breaker Challenge,” where two people kick a third person’s legs to make them fall. MOE stated these challenges could be fatal and urged parents to watch for signs of participation.
A doctor from the National University Hospital’s Children’s Emergency Department explained that the “Blackout Challenge” can cause unconsciousness due to brain oxygen deprivation. Severe cases may lead to irreversible brain damage, cardiac arrest, serious spinal injuries, paralysis, or death.
Parents should monitor for symptoms like dizziness, drowsiness, or purple lips with loss of consciousness, and immediately check for pulse and breathing if these occur.
A family physician at Skyline Pharmacy added that severe oxygen deprivation can cause permanent damage including stroke, epilepsy, kidney failure, and heart failure. The doctor emphasized that these challenges are extremely dangerous for people of any age.
