By Aja Cooper, Staff Writer

Published Aug. 20, 2014

With Instagram and Snapchat becoming the most frequently visited apps on my social media list, scrolling through Facebook has begun to feel more like a tedious chore than a nice pastime.

The game invitations, birthday reminders and articles that peak your interest have suddenly become questionable, because they’re on Facebook.

But as I scrolled through my newsfeed this summer I discovered a new trend that had taken over Facebook: challenges.

Over the last few months, challenges, such as the Ice Water Challenge, Cinnamon Challenge, Gospel Challenge, Pass Out Challenge, and Fire Challenge, have taken on the social media site in a manner that is both frightening and unavoidable.

Some of the challenges featured on Facebook seem harmless, and only consist of making a video of you singing, making a collage of your pictures, or someone pouring a bucket of ice cold water on you so that you don’t have to donate money to a specific cause.

However, some of these challenges that are being recorded and posted online are equivalent to someone having a death wish; simply put, people are risking their lives for the purposes of entertaining their so-called friends. 

For example, the Cinnamon Challenge, which entails consuming a large amount of cinnamon , dries out the mouth and causes breathing problems, possibly leads to pneumonia, or the collapsing of a lung.

The Pass out Challenge, also known as the Choking Game, involves the choking of one another until you black out; of course, this can easily result in death.

The most recent challenge that I’ve become aware of that has caused a media uproar is the Fire Challenge.

This challenge consists of a person covering themselves with an accelerant or fire spreading substance, and then lighting themselves on fire.

As you can imagine, these challenges are linked so closely to death that it seems impossible to think that people would be bold enough to try these things, film them, and then proudly post them online.

Not to mention that the posting of these deeds online encourages others to follow.  In a sense, people become so consumed with the thought of gaining attention and social media fame that they are willing to do inane things that put their life in danger. 

Sadly for these individuals, the only ones watching their posts seem to be members of the media who are focused on voicing the dangers of these actions.

The millennial generation, ourselves included, already have a bad reputation of being irresponsible and immature when it comes to social media. 

So, it obviously hurts many members of our generation to see that we’re literally adding fuel to the fire that keeps these stereotypes alive.

On a personal note, I’ve watched videos of the Fire Challenge and it honestly hurt my heart to see young people get involved in careless acts that are egged on by people who do not care about the wellbeing of the person in the video.

It seems like we’re taking steps backwards instead of moving forward towards being great.

Perhaps the best example of this overreach can be found in our own backyard. 

On August 6th, a mother in Charlotte was arrested for assisting her teenage son in recording himself doing the fire challenge that resulted in minor burns.

Now, we all did some things in our teen years that we probably can’t believe we participated in.

And since we are supposed to become increasingly mature with age, it’s crazy to see a grown woman assist her own son in this horrible act.

As college students we are on the brink of entering the “real world,” where we have the opportunity to become the world’s next movers and shakers.

It almost goes without saying that It will be difficult in getting there but it is possible.

With that being said, I have a new challenge. I challenge you to live this year with a purpose.

Wherever you are, live boldly with confidence, have fun, while dreaming big, working hard and accomplishing what you set out to achieve by coming to this university. Be someone that can be written about for their successes and not the ill decisions they made in a failed attempt at entertaining others.