New Superman TikTok challenge leaves users across the world in hospital

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Calls have been made to ban TikTok after several young people have been left seriously injured attempting a new challenge.

Health authorities said at least 17 students, ages 10 to 17, were brought to hospitals in the North Macedonia capital Skopje and other towns over the past week with broken bones, contusions and bruises.

The country saw several young people injured in connection with the popular “Superman challenge” on TikTok. The children were injured after being thrown into the air by their friends to fly like superheroes for content.

Now a political party has demanded authorities ban social networks whose content incites violence and self-destructive behaviour.

There have been similar reports of injured children across the world.

In Romania, 20 children have been injured, according to local reports, and in Israel at least 19 suffered injuries severe enough to require hospital treatment.

The children were injured after being thrown into the air by their friends to fly like superheroes for content. The ‘challenge’ sees two rows of people catch and throw a child, making them fly like Superman.

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Psychologists have warned that the desire to be “in” with the trends on social networks, combined with excessive use of mobile phones, is the main reason for the rise in risky behaviors among children. They urged parents and schools to talk with students.

The Liberal-Democratic Party in North Macedonia, which was part of the left-led coalition that ruled the country from 2016 to earlier in 2024, issued a press statement on Saturday strongly condemning “the irresponsible spread of dangerous content on social media, such as the latest TikTok ‘challenge’ known as ‘Superman,’ which has injured six children across (the country) in the past 24 hours.”

“The lack of adequate control over the content of social media allows such ‘games’ to reach the most vulnerable users,” the party statement said. It demanded the “immediate introduction of measures to ban content that incites violence and self-destructive behavior, increase surveillance, and sanction platforms that enable dangerous trends.”

North Macedonia’s education minister Vesna Janevska said students should focus on education, not TikTok challenges.

“The ban on mobile phones in schools will not have an effect. Phones will be available to children in their homes, neighborhoods and other environments,” she said.