Last month, a 16-year-old girl in France tragically passed away while attempting the “scarf game”, a version of TikTok’s hazardous “blackout challenge”. Christy Sibali Dominique Gloire Gassaille, who was originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reportedly tried this stunt while she was at home.
The “scarf game” involves using a cloth to strangle oneself in order to become unconscious and gain attention on the internet. Unfortunately, this activity can decrease the amount of oxygen going to the brain, leading to seizures, injuries, and even death. Gassaille was buried at the Fleury-les-Aubrais cemetery on June 7, near her house in Orléans, France.
Her passing follows the pattern of deaths related to the choking game, which has become popular on the Chinese-owned TikTok. When The Post searched for “scarf game”, however, a message displayed saying that it violated TikTok’s guidelines.
In January, an Argentinian 12-year-old, Milagros Soto, was also killed while performing this dangerous trend with a makeshift noose. Her aunt believes that someone may have persuaded her to do it, as she was being bullied at school.
People at Soto’s school described her as “great”, “sweet”, “good”, and “kind”. In the UK, two youths, Leon Brown and Archie Battersbee, allegedly died because of this viral challenge.
In the United States, TikTok is currently being sued for wrongful death after two California girls allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves. The lawsuit claims that TikTok “intentionally” designed their product to be “problematic” and “highly detrimental” to minors’ mental health. TikTok has denied responsibility for similar cases, saying that the “choking game” was popular before the “blackout challenge”.
Anybody engaging in this challenge can be reported by clicking the “report” symbol on TikTok.