A teenager from Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom is recovering after a terrifying accident linked to a dangerous social media trend. Sixteen-year-old Lucas Howson was participating in the so-called “tap out” challenge in a park with his friends when the game unexpectedly turned into a medical emergency. The challenge, which has been spreading through TikTok and other platforms, involves friends putting one another in chokeholds until the person signals to stop, often dangerously close to losing consciousness.

On the evening of 17 July, Lucas’s mother, Amy Howson, received a frantic call from her son’s friends saying that he had suddenly fainted during a playful round of the challenge. Amy recalled rushing to the park in fear, only to receive a second, more distressing call telling her that he had badly injured his tongue. When she finally reached the spot, she found her son drenched in blood, disoriented and crying. He repeatedly asked what had happened, unable to recall the events that had just unfolded.

A Playful Stunt That Spiralled Out Of Control

Witnesses explained that Lucas had passed out when one of his friends held him too tightly, causing him to collapse to the ground. In the fall, he hit his chin and nearly severed most of his tongue, biting through three-quarters of it. Doctors later confirmed that he lost consciousness for around 20 seconds due to lack of oxygen, which also left him with a temporary spell of amnesia. His friends, shaken and distraught by the accident, immediately called for help, and first responders rushed him to hospital while his mother anxiously stayed by his side.

Amy recalled the horrifying moment, saying she was trembling as she tried to comfort her son while watching him bleed profusely. Doctors managed to save his tongue through urgent medical care, and to her relief, Lucas has since fully recovered from the injury. Still, the incident has left behind a warning for other children and parents about the hidden dangers of such viral stunts.

Peer Influence And Social Media Pressure

Speaking about the ordeal, Amy said Lucas admitted that these “games” had become a common activity among children at school. Many of them were inspired by trends they had seen circulating online, and for Lucas and his friends, it seemed to be harmless fun at first. What he did not realise was how close he came to losing not only part of his tongue but possibly his life. Amy said she suspected social media played a big role in encouraging her son and others his age to take the risk.

“He probably saw it online and thought it would be fun,” she explained, adding that Lucas told her how often they engaged in such play-fights while imitating videos circulating on the internet. The young boy had no idea that in just a matter of seconds, oxygen deprivation could cause long-term brain injury or worse.

Mother’s Appeal For Stricter Online Safety

The frightening experience has moved Amy to speak out openly, urging parents and authorities to keep a closer check on what children are watching and imitating online. She said videos promoting these kinds of dangerous stunts should never be easily accessible and called for stricter review systems to curb harmful trends before they spread further.

“These videos should definitely be reviewed. Don’t try them. I know when you’re a kid you think you’re invincible but you’re not,” she cautioned, hoping Lucas’s story will serve as a warning both to children and to parents.

Experts point out that such challenges are not new, and similar incidents in other countries have led to severe injuries and even deaths. The instant popularity of these videos comes from peer pressure, as well as the desire among young people to gain online recognition, but the hidden consequences can be devastating.

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