Deaths from TikTok, Snapchat challenges highlight dangerous side of social media

Two families are suing social media companies after their kids died trying various challenges and buying drugs laced with fentanyl on those platforms.

TikTok’s controversial "blackout challenge" have led to kids as young as 9 years old dying from taking on the social media challenge. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old has died after ordering pills unknowingly laced with fentanyl from Snapchat.

More and more parents are joining forces with organizations like Stopthevoid.org to protest in front of social media company’s headquarters in Southern California, like Snapchat and TikTok, demanding more responsibility.

"We have brought some light to the issue," said Sam Chapman.

(FOX 11)

Chapman’s son died a year and a half ago from a Snapchat post he says featured a drug dealer using colorful emojis and graphics, along with a delivery-at-home button.

Snapchat has responded by saying they "significantly strengthened our toolsfor proactively detecting drug dealingactivity and shutting down dealers, improved our support for law enforcement and educated snapchatters about the fatal dangers of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl"

Now, TikTok has blocked searches for terms like "blackout challenge" and issues this warning when users try to look up the challenge:

But parents can’t depend on social media to keep an eye on what their kids are doing, and organizations are pushing up their outreach campaigns like their documentary Dead on Arrival.

"Watching it with your children could save someone’s life," said Stopthevoid.org’s Jaime Puerta.

He should know. He lost his 16 year old to drugs the teen ordered online.