A viral TikTok challenge is stirring up debate as more children become victims of egg-related prank videos.
Making the rounds under hashtags such as #eggprank and #eggcrackchallenge, such videos show TikTok users pretending to cook before cracking eggs on unsuspecting victims’ heads or faces.
Children have become increasingly targeted in the pranks, with the hashtags collectively logging more than 700 million views as of August 23.
https://www.tiktok.com/@tonilynnette/video/7266122620599291179
@charliefarlie88 Egg crack challenge ?lord im HOWLING ?? #eggcrackchallenge #egg #theirfaces #? #crackingday #mortified #howling #makeitviral #share #foryou #fyp
While some may see it as harmless fun, others, including child development experts, are raising red flags about the potential negative effects the trend could have on children.
Many videos under the hashtags show children displaying a range of emotions, including confusion, sadness, joy, and anger.
The trend has generated a mix of amusement and concern among TikTok users. For instance, pediatric occupational therapist Amanda Mathers said in a TikTok video that the trend was “hurting [her] soul.”
@yourpediatricot I know as parents you never want to harm your child. This post is meant to educate, for wny parwnts who were wanting to try this, or tor parents who already did this rrend and fan go back wnd have a conversation with their child about what happened. ••• Toddlers brains at this age don’t yet fully comprehend jokes like this and although they may laugh… their brain is thinking “WHAT THE HECK?!” ••• Skip this trend parents, it’ll save you in the long run ? #eggcrackchallenge #eggcrackprank #eggcrackreaction #emotionalintelligence #raisingconfidentchildren #raisingkids #donttrythisathome #pediatricot
She went on to encourage parents to reflect on what words and actions they exhibit to their children, who are “like sponges.” More specifically, she referred to the act of laughing in response to a child’s humiliation or pain as “bullying.”
The comment sections of some videos are filled with viewers questioning whether the prank damages the children involved. One TikTok user who posted a reaction video to the trend suggested a child’s age might have a lot to do with whether the prank is appropriate.
@amalaekpunobi
“You’ll see that the kids who laughed after the moms cracked the eggs over their head, they’re typically the older children. … If you have a two-year-old and you’re smacking them in the head with something and expecting them to think it’s funny, they’re probably not going to understand,” said Amala Ekpunobi.
Those leaving comments on the video tended to agree.
“I truly don’t understand this as a mama!” wrote one user.
Others, however, continued to insist the gags were just light-hearted fun and suggested that naysayers were being overly sensitive.
“It is HILARIOUS!!!” wrote one user.
Another comment read, “[Some] of the commenters on this video wouldn’t have survived growing up before the 2000’s and it shows.”
While the parents involved in the videos likely do not have any malicious intent, professionals have suggested that the laughter might not outweigh the potential costs: bruised heads and egos.
“We’re literally smacking salmonella on their foreheads,” said Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medical physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, according to NBC News.
Weighing in on the trend, psychologist Don Grant of Newport Healthcare in Los Angeles suggested that people, especially parents, should ask themselves about their motivations before posting something on social media.
“Our job is to buffer them and as a parent, for the sake of a video, I don’t see a gain versus the risk of this. Why would you as a parent put yourself in a situation where you’re risking your child to [become] untrusting, shocked, surprised or shed a tear?” Grant told Fox News.