Forego fake challenges and focus on real ones to avoid potential threat to life: Warns Heart Care 

NP NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi

With 82 million views on YouTube, a track has recently gained immense popularity and prompted a potentially dangerous social media dance challenge. Called the Kiki challenge, it requires the performer to shake and shimmy beside a moving car and then jump back into it. Videos of people undertaking the challenge are already viral on various social media platforms with hashtags

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In a cheeky play on the lyrics, the UP police tweeted on Monday saying ‘Dear Parents, whether Kiki loves your child or not, we are sure you do! So please stand by your kids in all the challenges in life except #kikichallenge.’ The Chandigarh Traffic Police, in association with Radio Mirchi, has also issued a traffic advisory on the dare and so has the Mumbai police.In Spain, the US, Malaysia, and the UAE, cops have alerted people to the dangers of the challenge.

Speaking about this, Dr KK Aggarwal, President, HCFI, said, “Adolescents are extremely vulnerable to such online challenges. Prior to the Kiki challenge, in 2016, two such games were popular which caused a number ofroad accidents. One was Pokemon Go, the world’s most popular game with over 15 million players trying to catch Pokemons. The game caused thousands of road accidents as well. According to study, more than 110,000 incidents in a 10-day period occurred thanks to drivers and pedestrians distracted by the game. The second and more fatal challenge was the Blue Whale Game in which various tasks / challenges are assigned to the player to reach a higher level. Ultimately, the player must commit suicide to complete the challenge. However, the said game has been banned now. In all these three situations, it is the teens and young adults who undertook/are undertaking the challenge and putting their life into danger.”

The #kikichallenge craze began on June 30 when comedian Shiggy posted a video on Instagram where he is dancing to the song in a busy stretch. Later Shiggy’s friend Odell Beckham Jr also recorded himself dancing outside his car. Now there are hundreds of such videos with some of them showing people crashing into poles and tripping on potholes. In one clip a woman’s handbag is stolen while attempting the challenge.

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Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, who is also the Vice President of CMAAO and Ira Gupta Legal Adviser HCFI in a joint statement said “Many Bollywood and TV actors have also filmed themselves dancing to this song outside a moving car. They are influencers and youngsters are most likely to take a cue and follow suit. It is imperative to be cautious and warn the public at large to make them aware of these life-threatening challenges and stop following them blindly. Parents should counsel their children and keep a watch to prevent them from risking their lives.”

Some tips from HCFI

Such situations arise out of an addiction to social media as well. It is important to recognize this and take steps to wean off.

Review your usage Understand and review the amount of time you spend on social media every day. You can take the help of a counsellor in understanding your behaviour and inclination towards this.

Acknowledge your addiction Try taking a break from using any social media apps for sometime, maybe days. The first way to overcome any addiction is to acknowledge that you have it.

Deactivate your account and delete apps This will ensure that you do not get the urge to check and post every other time.

About Heart Care Foundation of India

Initiated in 1986, the Heart Care Foundation of India is a leading National NGO working in the field of creating mass health awareness among people from all walks of life and providing solutions for India’s everyday healthcare needs. The NGO uses consumer-based entertainment modules to impart health education and increase awareness amongst people. A leading example of this is the Perfect Health Mela; an annual event started in 1993 that is attended by over 2-3 lakh people each year. The Mela showcases activities across categories such as health education seminars and check-ups, entertainment programs, lifestyle exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and competitions. In addition to this, the NGO conducts programs and camps to train people on the technique of hands only CPR through its CPR 10 mantra for revival after a sudden cardiac arrest. They currently hold three Limca book of world records for the maximum number of people trained in hands-only CPR in one go. Keeping article 21 of the Indian Constitution in mind, which guarantees a person Right to Life, Heart Care Foundation of India has also recently initiated a project called the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund to ensure that no one dies of a heart disease just because they cannot afford treatment.