It is called the “Fire Challenge”. No, it is not a new reality show on a major network to challenge American Ninja Warrior. It is a troubling trend among American teens that is being videoed and shared on the internet, particularly social media sites.
Teens and their parents with too much time on their hands, aka high teen unemployment, are taking small amounts of flammable liquid like alcohol or perfume on an area of the body and light it on fire for a few moments. The hope is to get a few moments of fame and hope things don’t go terribly wrong.
Accidents seem to happen if too much liquid is spread or they are unable to extinguish the flame quickly enough.
One case is making national headlines because the underage teen was helping to make a video of her 16-year-old son setting himself ablaze.
Janie Talley, 41, was cuffed for contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile for helping to make the video soon after it was posted to Facebook, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.
The clip shows Talley’s son, who was not identified because of his age, pour nail polish remover on his chest before setting himself on fire in a bathroom, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Other people put out the fire. The teen suffered minor burns to his chest and neck. The teen suffered minor burns to his chest and neck, authorities said.
It seems the point of the challenge is to spray a small amount of flammable liquid like alcohol or perfume on an area of the body and light it on fire for a few moments… Accidents seem to happen if too much liquid is spread or they are unable to extinguish the flame quickly enough.
Someone notified the Department of Social Services about the incident and police began investigating. Talley was scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 2.
The bible cautions us against harmful acts that can injure and mutilate us. In a quest for relevance and fame teens are looking for “easy” ways to get noticed. High unemployment for teens, lower overall incomes and the welfare state make these things attractive.
We should be seeking our self worth in Jesus Christ and determine to work hard to earn what we need. Someone once said that idle hands are the devil’s workshop, when people endanger themselves for fame and easy rewards the devil is pleased.
