Technology

The ‘dangerous’ social media trends every parent needs to know about

Published

2 years ago

September 5, 2023

Parents are being warned about a number of potentially “dangerous” trends that have become cropping up on social media.

Experts at SellCell say youngsters could be putting themselves at risk by attempting to recreate some of the most popular trends at home. They are now urging parents to keep tabs on what their children access.

It comes after research found almost 42% of children spend more than four hours a day on their phone.

This makes them particularly susceptible to inappropriate content.

In the past few years, there has been a rise in these kinds of challenges which mean young users may be encouraged to take part in dangerous tasks. Experts now believe trends such as the blackout, chroming and Cha Cha Slide challenge put lives at risk.

Experts have now compiled a list of the most dangerous social media challenges that parents need to know about:

Borg challenge

The Borg or blackout rage gallon challenge involves filling a gallon jug with equal parts water and vodka, along with caffeinated flavor enhancers and electrolyte powders, in an attempt to create a hangover-proof drink. People assume the presence of water and electrolytes in the borg cocktail makes them less dangerous but it’s not true. The large servings make it difficult to moderate drinking, leading people to consume an excessive amount of alcohol.

Mouth taping during sleep

This trend involves using a piece of tape to keep the mouth shut to only breathe out of the nose while sleeping, claiming to improve sleep quality and prevent snoring. Participating in this trend has several risks, such as obstructed breathing, irritation from the tape, disrupted sleep and choking hazards. It’s especially dangerous for people who have sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

Blackout challenge

The blackout challenge is one of the most dangerous trends to hit social media, allegedly resulting in several deaths. The participants of the challenge are encouraged to hold their breath or choke themselves with household items until they pass out. Users post videos of the adrenaline rush they get when regaining consciousness, encouraging children too young to grasp the risk to try the challenge.

Chroming

The chroming trend revolves around users challenging each other to inhale fumes from toxic sources, such as aerosol cans, spray deodorants, paint containers or nail polish removers. The aim of the challenge is to create a temporary high, however the participants are not aware of the dangerous side effects chroming includes. Participating in this trend can lead to serious health risks such as heart attack, seizures, suffocation, coma, choking, or fatal injury, and may even cause permanent organ damage.

Fake piercings with magnets

The trend, people are using small magnetic balls, commonly sold as creative toys, as fake facial and tongue piercings. It can be extremely dangerous if these magnets are accidentally swallowed, as ingesting more than one means that they’ll be forced together, squeezing the intestines and bowels and threatening blood flow.

Benadryl challenge

This challenge involves taking large doses of Benadryl, an over-the-counter antiallergic drug, to trigger hallucinations. The participants take nearly double the recommended daily dosage of the medication in a short period of time and film their side effects. Consuming an excessive amount of allergy medication could lead to heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death.

Cha Cha Slide

The Cha Cha Slide challenge sounds like it’s a fun and safe trend, but in reality it’s one of the most dangerous trends making the rounds. The trend encourages teens to drive recklessly to the beat of the famous Cha Cha Slide song by DJ Casper. Drivers are swerving their cars left and right before sharply turning in both directions at the “criss cross” part of the lyrics. This can lead to careless drivers veering into oncoming traffic and causing life-threatening accidents.

The deodorant challenge

This trend sees youngsters spraying deodorant closely onto their bare skin for as long as possible to make it feel ice-cold. Following this trend can leave kids with severe and nasty burns, as the pressurised gas in aerosol cans creates a sharp cooling effect on skin, causing the skin to freeze. Some kids who have taken part in the challenge have been left with injuries that require years to heal and plastic surgery.

Sarah McConomy, from SellCell said: “The pressure to fit in and be popular on social media can cloud young people’s judgement, making them ignore the possible consequences of harmful trends on social media. With kids spending more time on their phones than ever, their exposure to inappropriate content naturally increases.

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Technology

Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK

Published

6 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Desk Report

If you wanted to buy a secondhand or refurbished Samsung phone in the UK, you couldn’t go straight to the source – until now. Samsung has announced it is selling “certified re-newed” Galaxy smartphones for British buyers, following launches in the US and South Korea.

This new program sees Samsung take “top-grade returned” products and recondition them fit to be sold on, according to the firm. The inspection and refurbishment process sees devices cleaned and checked with “more than 100 quality tests” by in-house Samsung experts before stock is put up for sale.

All repairs use genuine Samsung parts, examples of which the firm lists as (screen, camera, speakers, sensor, NFC and antenna.

“During the restoration process, all devices are reset to delete personal data and ensure they are sold in a condition equivalent to that of a brand-new device,” Samsung said, though a footnote says: “The product may have slight external blemishes, which do not impact its functionality or performance.”

“We’re excited to expand our Certified Re-Newed program in European markets to provide customers with more options for purchasing flagship devices,” said Jun Kim, EVP and Head of Galaxy Value Innovation Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “While contributing to the circular economy, we hope more customers can experience our latest innovations, including Galaxy AI.”

The phones are packaged in new recyclable boxes and include the same accessories you would get with a new phone, though for many Samsung phones in 2026 that will be just a USB-C cable.

If you have been mulling a new smartphone and want to save a bit of cash, this could be an option for you, though at launch Samsung is only ranging the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, the latest Galaxy S flagship phones from the firm that launched in early 2025.

The online store is now live, though at the time of writing only the Galaxy S25 Ultra was in stock, the 512GB model listed for £1,153. Brand new, it cost £1,349.

It’s surprising that Samsung has not opted to range older Galaxy S phones, or any phones from its mid-range Galaxy A series. Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK.

But finally being able to go to Samsung for officially refurbished handsets is good for consumers as the popularity of secondhand devices rises.

Third-party retailers for smartphones such as Backmarket have become widely used in recent months as people look to save money on their next phone. But such sites often sell phones with damage, which, even if advertised, is not ideal, and makes shopping for an adequate phone a bit of a lucky dip.

Hopefully Samsung’s officially refurbished phones will prove a more trustworthy source of used phones, though it remains to be seen if more devices will be added to the range, and if prices are competitive with the existing secondhand market.

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Technology

Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK

Published

6 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Desk Report

All repairs use genuine Samsung parts, examples of which the firm lists as (screen, camera, speakers, sensor, NFC and antenna.

The phones are packaged in new recyclable boxes and include the same accessories you would get with a new phone, though for many Samsung phones in 2026 that will be just a USB-C cable.

The online store is now live, though at the time of writing only the Galaxy S25 Ultra was in stock, the 512GB model listed for £1,153. Brand new, it cost £1,349.

It’s surprising that Samsung has not opted to range older Galaxy S phones, or any phones from its mid-range Galaxy A series. Samsung just made it easier to buy an affordable Galaxy phone in the UK.

But finally being able to go to Samsung for officially refurbished handsets is good for consumers as the popularity of secondhand devices rises.

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Technology

Forget your boring printer, this new release from Epson looks way more fun

Published

20 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Desk Report

Epson might be famed for its desktop printers and home office scanners, but the firm’s latest release looks way more fun. It’s called The Lifestudio Grand EH-LS970, and it’s a new 4K ultra-short-throw projector that will beam a pin-sharp and super-bright image onto any wall in your home. Clever AI has even been baked in to make sure the picture is perfectly optimised for any interior, with Epson promising that this device has been engineered for film lovers. Thanks to its smart design and short throw technology, this new projector can be placed right next to walls rather than taking up space in the middle of living rooms.

Once powered up, it will eclipse TV screens with it fully capable of projecting movies, sports, boxsets and entertainment up to 150 inches in size.

To enhance the experience, it also features a Bose-engineered sound system within its compact shell, along with immersive Dolby Audio.

Another bonus is full internet connectivity, along with Google TV built in. That means there’s instant access to apps such as Netflix and Disney+ without the need for additional streaming devices.

“EH‑LS970 raises the bar for shared cinematic experiences at home,” said Kiran Sanghera, Epson Europe. “You get real 4K detail, 4,000 lumens brightness and Bose‑engineered sound in a system that’s easy to live with, all with Google TV built in, intelligent setup and whisper-quiet operation.”

The Lifestudio Grand will be available from April 2026, prices should be announced soon.

Along with Samsung, LG is also launching new TVs that look like picture frames, and there’s a Wallpaper screen, which is a super thing and ditches the need for cables.

All of these updates will be arriving later this year, so watch this space.

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