The Fire Challenge, A Parental Challenge

(photo: Tony Alter/ Wikipedia)

For weeks I’ve been unable to rid my mind of those gruesome images on the news of teens engulfed in flames.  Earth-shattering screams of horror and pain in the chaos that ensues amidst torture and human sacrifice.

I was not exposed to these images while watching coverage of the Middle East. I didn’t see ISIS soldiers sacrificing teens in the name of Allah. Nor was this some extreme form of riotous protest ignited by the fuel of hatred over recent events in Ferguson, Missouri. 

Believe it or not, these were videos posted in fun on social media for the world to see, as part of a craze known as The Fire Challenge

I watched the news, aghast, as teens made merry, pouring alcohol or lighter fluid all over their bodies, while friends stood by, antsy with giddiness, videotaping the whole scene for the sake of posterity, or at least for 15 seconds of fame — whichever came first. 

In one unfortunate episode, once the flame made contact with the young man’s chest, adrenaline levels went through the roof as the teen engulfed in flames became too discombobulated to remember to jump into the water. In the sudden chaos, there was screaming, crying, and desperate attempts to shout advice to the burning victim — “Jump in the water!” “Turn on the shower!!” — as his friends rushed to help put out the fire.

According to ABC News, over 33,000 videos of this phenomenon were posted online as of early August. Firefighters across the country are warning against it. Burn units have seen record numbers of child patients. Thousands of kids will be scarred for life, and one fifteen-year-old has even given his life as a result of this challenge.

And for what? A little excitement?  A few views on Youtube? Some likes on Instagram?     

There was a time when conventional wisdom guarded against allowing a group of teens to hang out together on a street corner or at the local convenience store. 

In general, it was believed that three or more unsupervised kids with too much time on their hands were up to no good. This belief was supported by statistics, which suggested an increase in crime wherever groups (or gangs) of teen loitering were on the rise. More often than not, police tried to disperse such groups before trouble began.  Today, there are a lot fewer teens hanging out on the street.

Instead, they can be found hanging out online. But doesn’t the internet serve as a virtual street corner where thousands of unsupervised kids can go to round up a little excitement? Not for a few hours in the afternoon before dinner; but virtually 24-hours-a-day. 

According to the Pew Research Internet Project, over 95% of teens use the internet, while 74% even have access to a mobile device. In fact, the average teen spends over eight hours per day on social media. 

Add that to hours spent in school, and exactly how much time does that leave for parental guidance?  Familial relationships?  Parental LOVE?

This is an extremely dangerous trend — and fire challenges are just one manifestation of the trouble in family life.  The fact is that despite efforts to destroy it, redefine it or manipulate it, the family has always played a key role in the development of a just society. By virtue of God’s goodness and the beauty of His providence in the world, the family has been the most effective place to raise children to be virtuous and productive citizens.   

In Familiaris Consortio, John Paul II said:

...the fostering of authentic and mature communion between persons within the family is the first and irreplaceable school of social life, an example and stimulus for the broader community of relationships marked by respect, justice, dialogue and love.

This generation of tech savvy, social media hopping, view-seeking teens is in grave danger of shirking the one influence that is most important to their growth and maturity as true social beings.  And from the looks of things, they can’t afford that loss. And neither can we.         

If we don’t engage these teens in meaningful ways, the greatest threat to the American family could very well be found in our own homes.