Some social media challenges are fun like the Laurel or Yanny debate.

But other can be dangerous, like the Tide Pod Challenge.

It’s hard to estimate how many people were injured doing the challenge.

It caused such an uproar that YouTube and Facebook worked to remove the videos.

But teens are sticking with apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter which is where you can find these challenges.

Besides the Tide Pod Challenge, there’s the Hot Coil Challenge where you burn your hand on a hot stove.

Also, the deodorant challenge which can burn your skin.

Teens and even some young adults are getting sick or injured trying these challenges. 

So we talked to a group of seniors from Hollidaysburg Area High School to find out what they’re doing on social media.

“Keep in touch with friends and see what everybody else is doing,” says Danny Molliver.

We asked Nathan Swartz why he likes be on these app, he says “I feel a way that I can connect to people without having to go talk to them face to face.”

Dominic Frucello tells us he’s on social media for “A good bit of my day.”

In fact, Common Sense Media, a family technology education non-profit group reports teens spend nearly nine hours a day on social media.

“It’s their habitat. It’s where they go now,” says Penn State Distinguished Professor on Information Science and Technology John Carroll.

He says because teens are always on their social media, it’s no surprise they would experiment with social media challenges. 

“Teenagers have the special challenge that their brains are still developing and they’re specifically still developing in ways that are more likely to engage in risky behavior,” says Carroll.

That may explain how these challenges get started. 

But the teens we talked to say they’ve never tried them.

“I think the challenges are pretty dumb, and they’re more or less just for attention,” says Swartz.

“I think they’re crazy half the time,” says Senior Dylan Allison,” I don’t see why you would want to do that to yourself.”

“I kind of think they’re a little bit funny but in the long run it’s kind of stupid and like everyone knows not to try it,” student Josh Dunkle says.

Ryan Klingensmith is the co-founder of Shape the Sky, an organization dedicated to creating responsible kids on smartphones by teaching adults about the online world. 

He says he’s seeing the same response from teens.

“They go viral with a few people, but I don’t see kids mimicking this because I think they understand they’re dangerous,” says Klingensmith.

But that doesn’t mean social media is a danger-free zone. 

“It’s not about dangerous behaviors, it’s about risky behaviors and there may be a danger that comes from that, not from necessarily the kids,” says Klingensmith.

But there are steps parents can take to be proactive like understanding what social media apps your kids are using on their smartphones.

Something, many of the teens we talked to, say their parents don’t do.  

“My mom just kind of knows I’m not doing anything bad so she just kind of trusts me with my social media accounts,” said Molliver.

Even though you may trust your child both Klingensmith and Professor Carroll say you should monitor what your teen is doing on social media.

You can see Social Media Dangers Part 2, HERE.