Table of Contents
5 W’s T-Chart
| Who | Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., the George Bachelor Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Bachelor Children’s Research Institute. |
| What | How the Cinnamon Challenge lands many children in hospitals. |
| When | After the ingestion of cinnamon spices. |
| Where | Through the social media such as YouTube. |
| Why | A form of dare sweeping the internet. |
| How | Through the ingestion of teaspoonfuls of cinnamon without water in less than a water. |
Why teens should avoid the cinnamon challenge
The cinnamon challenge has been sweeping the internet as a dastardly dare involving the task of individuals eating teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, with no water, in less than a minute. Many individuals participating in the cinnamon challenge are seen to find it difficult accomplishing the task. Various risks are associated with teens engaging in the cinnamon challenge with most of them seen to choke, cough, gag, vomit, curse, cry and portraying various other signs of discomfort from consuming the teaspoon of cinnamon without no water (Breyer, 2012). Teens should avoid engaging in the cinnamon challenge upon considering the fact that the organic compound giving cinnamon its flavor, Cinnamaldehyde, is used as a fungicide and pesticide as well. Consuming cinnamon may lead to acute oral toxify, acute dermal toxicity, dermal irritation, eye irritation and dermal sensitization. Consuming cinnamon can cause severe burning of the individual’s mouth and throat thus need for immediate medication.
Teens involving themselves in the cinnamon challenge are endangering their health. The various fails demonstrated in videos relay the fact that the challenge can be fatal. There are risks over the fact that the ingestion of cinnamon by teens participating in the cinnamon challenge may lead to death at some point (Breyer, 2012). Teens need to be aware of the conceptual fact that the cinnamon challenge damages an individual’s lungs. The after-effects from the challenge leaves teens in agony after consuming the spices. It is essential to weigh on the various risks and rewards which are posed from peer pressure into indulging on the cinnamon challenge (Nordqvist, 2013).
Why social media such as YouTube should be banned from showing any videos glorifying the participation in cinnamon challenge
Social media such as YouTube should be banned from showing any videos which glorify participation in the cinnamon challenge since they are spreading peer influence on other teens. Regarding the fact that social media is a vastly used aspect in the current world, it conveys various aspects that are around us. Essentially, teens are greatly involved in social media and tend to follow all that is relayed out for them (Nordqvist, 2013). Videos glorifying the participation of individuals in the cinnamon challenge need to be banned as they allure teens through trendy new fads, peer influence, and peer pressure. These aspects may encourage teens to involve themselves in the cinnamon challenge with the intention of portraying that they too can manage the challenge. Videos that encourage the cinnamon challenge disregard the fact that the participants may be endangering their lives, let alone their health (Breyer, 2012).
Since many teens are actively involved in social media, parents and guardians have a difficult time counselling their teens and tweens from making sensible choices (Nordqvist, 2013). The dare imposes potential health risks while disregarding how this affects the participants. Instead of glorifying the cinnamon challenge, social media needs to administer assistance in informing teens on the various risks associated with the cinnamon challenge. Ideally, this will assist in spreading positive attributes against the challenge while advising on the extreme implications involved with the same.
- Breyer, M. (2012). Can the Cinnamon Challenge Kill You? Mother Nature Network. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
- Christian Nordqvist. (2013). The Cinnamon Challenge Lands Many Children in Hospital.