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There are several reasons TikTok used to be in headlines for its trends. This time again this short-video platform is in the limelight because of its latest trend, Chroming. Chroming is a social media game which is going viral among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. However, this time, the trend is not in the headlines for good news.
The social media game came into the limelight as soon as it was connected with the death of a 13-year-old Australian student.
Esra Haynes, a 13-year-old student passed away on March 31, 2023, due to chemical exposure during a sleepover. Esra Haynes took part in a trending TikTok game, called Chroming. Due to the TikTok trend, the girl sniffed an aerosol deodorant.
As Haynes participated in the TikTok trending game, she suffered irreparable brain damage and cardiac arrest, The Sun reported. She was hospitalised for a week before she died.
After the demise of Haynes, her parents have been warning other young people about the risks associated with Chroming.
Paul Haynes appeared on an Australian TV show and said that if she had known the consequences, she would have never done this. That it could take her life.
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Andrea Haynes, “The ripple effect is that this is absolutely devastating, we’ve got no child to bring home.”
What is the Chroming challenge trending on TikTok?
The word 'Chroming' is an informal word, which originated from Australia, and it refers to the act of inhaling the fumes from a toxic source, such as an aerosol can, a paint container, or a spray deodorant.
The chroming process involves inhaling toxic substances which offer similar effects to alcohol. The inhalation process can lead to deadly side effects such as seizures, coma, suffocation, choking, heart attack or fatal injury, and ultimately it can cause permanent organ damage.
Users are actively engaging in 'chroming' post videos under the term 'WhipTok', which is a slang term for recreational use of nitrous oxide. 'Whiptok' has garnered more than 546.3 million views on the platform.
Recently 14-year-old Sarah Mescal also died in September due to a suspected chroming fad, which is being investigated by the Irish authorities.
