What started off as a convenient cleaning agent has now become one of the biggest trends on various social media platforms. The Tide Pod challenged has snowballed, landing numerous people on the hospital while creating prime viewing material for those who sit a screen away. Now, parents aren’t just worried about their little ones eating these accidently but that their teenage children will have to be supervised in case they partake in intentionally eating the hazardous product.

Certain trends become popular for the simple reasons of being entertaining and hilarious, but ingesting laundry detergent is no laughing matter. It’s no secret that teenagers crave acceptance from or are pressured by their peers and those who turn to the extreme will face drastic and deadly consequences. Throughout the month of January, the Poison Control Center has been inundated with calls from worried parents, witnessing the adverse effects of eating a Tide Pod.   It has become so popularized that the Tide company has reached out through their social media platforms to warn about the dangers of eating their product and plead reckless teens to stop before they hurt themselves. In conjunction with the Patriots   very own Rob Gronkowski, the business released an advertisement that tries to deter youths from consuming the product. Even shopping centers have become aware and taken precautionary methods. Well-known stores including Walmart, Target, Kmart, and Stop & Shop, have locked away Tide Pods in plastic containers that can only be taken off during purchase. Reluctant to blame their own children, parents have found Tide to be the culprit behind the craze despite the company’s numerous warning labels and quick response time. The trend has turned a useful laundry product into a siren call for those seeking more views on social media and fame, hurting themselves and Tide’s reputation.

While some teenagers are taking part in the challenge, others have the common sense to know that this is yet another dangerous trend started by the internet. Junior student Joseph Lewin mentions how the consumption of Tide Pods is “essentially harming your body, possibly to the point of death.” He believes it’s “ridiculous what some may do it just because “it’s the new wave or cool.” Freshman student Ariana Levin goes one step further, calling the Tide Pod Challenge “despicable.” She believes the challenge should end “immediately” and applauds the steps companies have taken to prevent its continuation. Another student junior Jessica Joy believes it’s “not the company’s fault” and that the company “thought people would be smart enough not to eat a Tide Pod.” She feels that “teens want attention and some are willing to do anything and that might be something extreme like eating a Tide Pod.” Regardless of who was asked, the general consensus was that the consumption of this product must end.

It’s unfortunate that the challenge has progressed so far when it shouldn’t have even have began. Teenagers should have the basic understanding that eating a laundry product has chemicals poisonous enough to kill a person. The extreme measures that people adopt to reach fame, get the views they want, and feel accepted has taken a toll on how much hope there is for humanity. For the teenagers who are willing to give up their lives for fame and acceptance, Tide Pods have now become the pathway to an early grave.