‘Burns challenges’ leading to battle scars are a current youth culture phenomenon propagated by social media. Platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook have been noted to show adolescents perform these challenges resulting in an increasing incidence of flame, friction or chemical burns of varying severity.
Creative ways to demonstrate stealth by performing these burns injuries is a common occurrence and correlates to a rising incidence of these burns. Methods of social media clearly fuel this by publicising events. It is important to be vigilant in identifying this aetiology of burn injury, not to confuse it with non-accidental injury or psychotic deliberate self-harm, and to educate patients of the long-term consequences. Further studies should be done into understanding the significant influence social media has on risky behaviours in children and adolescents, and the general public, especially social media sites, should be educated on the extent of harm these challenges have so that hosting of these videos and contents can be better regulated.
UHCW Research: Lopa Patel
