Parents and caregivers are being urged to closely monitor what their children watch and participate in on social media after the Maitland community was left mourning the death of an 8-year-old girl following an incident allegedly linked to a social media challenge.

According to reports, the girl died after allegedly taking part in the Blackout Challenge at her home in Royal Road.

The Blackout Challenge (also known as the “choking game” or “pass-out challenge”) is a dangerous and often deadly social media trend in which individuals intentionally restrict oxygen flow to the brain to achieve a brief, euphoric state or “high” before losing consciousness.

Sgt Wesley Twigg, provincial police spokesperson, said Maitland police registered an inquest for investigation following the death of the girl on Saturday 15 August.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death,” explained Twigg.

Community Mourns

Graham Daniels, Maitland Residents and Ratepayers Association safety and security spokesperson, said while details around the incident are still unclear the community is saddened by this “tragedy”.

“This tragedy highlights the growing concerns surrounding the influence of social media trends on young children and the importance of parents, caregivers, schools and communities remaining vigilant about what children are watching and participating in online.”

Daniels warned that what may appear to children as a harmless challenge or game can have “devastating and irreversible consequences”.

“The loss of this young life should serve as a serious warning to our entire community. We must work together to educate and protect our children while ensuring that they have the confidence to say no when confronted with dangerous online trends or peer pressure.”

Cheslyn Daniels, Ward 56 councillor, expressed his condolences and said he assisted the family with the girl’s funeral.

“The alleged circumstances surrounding her death are concerning. I want to implore parents to portray parental guidance over what children do, especially in the time of social media.”

He cautioned parents and caregivers to be vigilant.

“We must get back to the basics of children playing with card or board games and not with technology. As a father and community leader, this tragedy has made me think about what we as adults can do to protect our children from pressures of social media.”

Online Dangers

Speaking to People’s Post Grant Heinz, technology expert, has urged parents to take greater control over their children’s access to smartphones, tablets and social media, and warned that online platforms can expose young people to harmful content and influence their behaviour.

Heinz said children should ideally not have their own cellphones until they reach high school.

Where children do have access to tablets or other devices, he encouraged parents to make use of child-friendly settings available on Apple and Android devices to monitor and control the content they can access.

Parents should carefully block channels or content they consider inappropriate, he said.

“Social media is a good thing, but it is a dangerous place,” he said, adding that many platforms are designed to capture and influence users’ behaviour.

Heinz said children are still learning and developing appropriate behaviours, making it important for parents to limit the people, platforms and content they are exposed to.

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