The Boiling Water Loyalty Test: A Deadly Trend Takes Over TikTok and Threatens Teenagers

SadaNews - In a new wave of concerning trends on social media platforms, the "boiling water trend to prove friendship strong" has dominated TikTok in recent weeks, where some users are pouring boiling water onto their friends’ hands in a scene presented as a test of trust and loyalty, filmed and shared to gain interaction and views.

Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Ramadan, head of the Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Studies, commented in exclusive statements to "Al Arabiya.net" and "Al Hadath.net": "What appears at first glance as a 'passing joke' or entertaining content has quickly turned into a dangerous behavior that has raised wide warnings from doctors, health experts, and specialists in digital safety, amid growing concerns about its physical and psychological effects, especially on teenagers."

"Blind Imitation"

He continued: "Medical reports indicate that this challenge has transcended the stage of mere acting or pretending to become, in some cases, an actual practice that can lead to serious injuries; boiling water can cause second or third-degree burns within seconds, which may require surgical intervention or long-term treatment, which is in stark contrast to the 'funny' image portrayed in the videos."

Specialists emphasize that the danger of these challenges lies in downplaying the extent of real harm, especially when physical pain is presented as a means to prove friendship or bravery.

Emergency physicians have dealt with injuries resulting from similar digital challenges and have expressed their increasing concern.

Dr. Mohsen Ramadan pointed out that in previous statements, "one of the emergency doctors in Chicago noted receiving cases of children and teenagers injured while imitating widely spread challenges on TikTok," stressing that: "What seems funny on the screen turns into real pain and permanent scars in emergency rooms, and there are recurring global incidents; the boiling water trend is not an isolated case, as the world has witnessed over the past years a series of dangerous challenges that caused severe injuries and burns, and even fatalities in some cases, due to the blind imitation of trending content without awareness of the consequences. These incidents have prompted medical and educational authorities to raise alarms about the impact of these phenomena on youth behavior."

Algorithms Fueling Risk

For his part, the former director of the General Administration for Information Technology and Internet Investigations, Major General Mohamed Abd El-Wahed, said in exclusive statements to "Al Arabiya.net" and "Al Hadath.net": Experts in digital behavior attribute the spread of these trends to the algorithms of platforms, primarily TikTok, which promote shocking content and strong reactions as it achieves higher viewing and interaction rates.

According to specialists, this type of content may be shown to teenagers who have not sought it out, raising the likelihood of imitation out of curiosity or social pressure.

Major General Abd El-Wahed added: "TikTok has announced on several occasions that it is working to remove content that encourages harmful behaviors, relying on artificial intelligence tools to identify dangerous challenges early, but experts affirm that technical oversight alone is not enough unless accompanied by family awareness, digital education, and an open dialogue with youth about the dangers of what they watch."

A Temporary Trend… and Permanent Injury

He concluded: "The most important question remains... Is the strength of friendship measured by physical pain? The answer is clear to specialists. True friendship is built on respect, trust, and mutual support, not on challenges that may leave a permanent physical or psychological impact, just for a fleeting video or a temporary trend."

Major General Abd El-Wahed advised against sharing or encouraging any challenge that involves self-harm or harm to others, and urged parents to monitor the content their children are exposed to without violating their trust, to learn critical thinking before imitating any trending content, and to remember that the trend is temporary, but the injury may be permanent. In an age of competition for views, digital awareness has become a necessity, not a luxury, for not everything that glitters on the screen is safe, and not every trend is worth trying."