The father of a 13-year-old boy who died doing a TikTok challenge is warning parents about the use of technology for children and the perceptions of social media that parents can have.
Justin Stevens, father of the Ohio boy who died trying the “Benadryl challenge,” spoke to Fox News after burying his son. The boy was declared brain dead and the family took him off life support, he told the network. The online dare involved taking six times the recommended dose of the allergy drug to supposedly produce hallucinations.
“He had no idea what he was doing. … He was just a kid. He made a bad decision,” Stevens said.
Stevens described his son’s use of the phone as a “lifesaver,” denying his father access when he tried to see what was on it.
“Every time I’d try to get into his phone, he’d just set the password or something … and he’d be adamant that he wouldn’t let me into his phone, so I’d just pick up the phone.” Stevens explained. “I think technology today is a downfall. What happened to playing with Matchbox cars in the pile of mud next to the house all day and every day?”
The father criticized the TikTok app, saying it assumed it was suitable for children and showed content such as “a funny person singing a song”.
“They sit and make billions and billions of dollars,” he complained, “and I can’t even wake up and say hello to my son, you know?”
Dianna Stevens, the boy’s grandmother, previously told Fox News that the teenager began spending more and more time on his phone and was very “curious.” He said he spent more and more time watching videos on YouTube and TikTok.
A TikTok spokesperson responded to the tragedy, saying the company’s “deepest condolences go out to the family.”
“At TikTok, we strictly ban and remove content that promotes dangerous behavior with the safety of our community as a priority. We’ve never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage the copycat behavior,” he said. said the spokesman.
The spokesperson added that the app “does not allow users to share content that depicts, promotes, normalizes or glorifies dangerous acts that can lead to serious injury or death.”
Stevens cautioned parents to take things easy and noted that Benadryl is still available over the counter.
“I’ve said it over and over and over again. As parents, we live in a fast-paced environment. Everyone’s moving a hundred miles an hour. I’d just say slow down. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
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