💬 THINK: The Sleepy Chicken Challenge

The FDA sends out a warning, but.... against what, exactly?

This week, the FDA warned against cooking chicken in the widespread cold medicine, NyQuil (yes, you read that correctly!) in response to what it framed as a viral TikTok challenge.

Eager to learn more, your intrepid Lead Detectives did some TikTok sleuthing but were unable to come up with more than a couple of examples of “sleepy chicken” videos. This Twitter thread from Abbie Richards may explain why. But it also underscores an essential truth for us: While we often encourage learners to be mindful of when online content triggers a negative emotion, such as fear or hate, the desire to belong and to be part of a viral, cultural moment (such as a meme or challenge, etc.,) can also be incredibly seductive and difficult to resist.

All of this makes us wonder…

• How can we be more intentional about helping kids view the feeling of being swept up in a moment shared by thousands (maybe even millions) of other people as a signal to press pause to ask:

  • Who benefits if I feel this way?

  • What are they hoping I’ll do?

  • Will following these feelings cause me or others harm?