By: Rawan Tarek
Over the past few days, social media has been busy with the story of student Ahmed Khaled, who became paralyzed as a result of entering a serious challenge of "Tik Tok".
The student`s story began with his agreement with his schoolmates to try the "Throw Your Friend" challenge on the "Tik Tok" application, and a group of friends gather around a friend they choose, throw him in the air, and then let him fall to the ground to see how strong his endurance is, and the friend wins if he does not suffer any damage.
But contrary to what his friends had hoped, Ahmed, a champion of judo, was the victim of a serious challenge, as he suffered a fracture in his spine and a cut in the spinal cord, which led to paralysis.
• What did the physician responsible of Ahmed’s case say about the victim of the Tik Tok challenge?
The student`s treating doctor, Dr. Bishoy Najib, a specialist in orthopedic and joint surgery, described the incident as one of the worst he witnessed during his career, saying: "A 13-year-old boy was transferred to the hospital while not moving, and after examination and x-rays, it was found that he suffers from a state of paralysis," pointing out that Ahmed has a fracture in the cervical vertebrae and severe pressure on the spinal cord and hope for his recovery is weak.
• Other challenges that threatened the lives of young people
This is in addition to the "mute challenge" or "death challenge" that invaded schools months ago, which is done by registering the person through his account via "Tik Tok" and then asking the player to darken the room, hence the term "blackout challenge", and then the participant records scenes of moments of self-silence, arguing that they will feel different sensations, and that they will experience an unparalleled experience. This challenge has caused a number of deaths in European and Arab countries, where deliberate muting of breath has led to suffocation and death of a number of participants in the game. An investigation by Bloomberg highlighted at least 10 deaths of underage users who die after attempting this challenge.
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• Ministry of Education moves after TikTok challenges spread in schools
The Ministry of Education and Technical Education issued an official statement calling on parents to monitor their children`s activity on smartphones in light of the spread of electronic applications and games that may represent an imminent danger to their mental and physical health. In this context, the Ministry of Education and Technical Education confirmed that it directed all educational departments nationwide to warn school principals to monitor any unusual activities carried out by students that may harm them, and to implement awareness campaigns about the harms of electronic games that some students seek to apply on the ground.
The Ministry of Education also stressed that parental control has become an urgent necessity and a top priority in light of the practice of some students for dangerous activities through smart phone applications, which affects their mental and physical health, which in turn is reflected in their academic performance.


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