What is the Milk Crate Challenge?

Social media challenge videos get a lot of likes/views/shares and become the hot topic in social circles. Teens and tweens get a good laugh watching others often fail the challenge and may want to try the stunt themselves. The Milk Crate Challenge is one of these viral social media challenges that has caught the attention of medical practitioners and law enforcement officers who have strong warnings against this social media challenge.

What is the Milk Crate Challenge?

• Participants stack plastic milk crates and see how high they can climb
• While attempting the challenge, users have someone video their attempt and then post the video to social media, often with #milkcratechallenge so others can easily find their video
• Most Milk Crate Challenge videos end in failure with the person falling

Why do students want to participate in the Milk Crate Challenge?

• They have usually seen the challenge on others social media accounts and have been amused at other people falling and think “I can make it”
• Teens and tweens can very easily feel peer pressure to do what “everyone else is doing,” especially if other friends also want to participate in the challenge
• Social media likes, views, and share counts are addictive for teens and tweens

In the news

Spoiler alert: the person usually falls, and the challenge could pose serious medical risks. - Teen Vogue

Falling from height is never a good thing. Gravity always wins. - WebMD

Rapper Snoop Dogg has called the challenge the 'bridge of death.' And some medical experts don't disagree. ‘You can open up a textbook, and all injuries are on the table,’ said Dr. Rajwinder Deu, a professor of orthopedic surgery at John Hopkins University. - USA Today

What can parents do?

• Even though TikTok and other social media companies say they are removing videos and hashtags of this dangerous challenge, teens may still be talking about it. It may also be seen on unmoderated social media apps or websites or found without a hashtag

• Get involved and talk with your student about peer pressure on social media. Also, discuss ways to report or block bullying if they feel pressured to partake in dangerous challenges
• Remind students that users don’t always share their full experiences in their social media posts. For instance, others have likely not shared their negative side effects of the challenge
• Create a family social media plan that students and parents agree to follow to help students make safer decisions

Conclusion

The Milk Crate Challenge has a high risk of serious bodily harm when the users fall. Milk Crates are not designed to be stacked and climbed on. Teens or tweens may want to copy what is “popular” and earn social media likes and views, but this challenge is dangerous and we recommend users not try this challenge.