What is a Video Challenge?
Video challenges are an aspect of modern culture that has arisen from the adoption of social media services like YouTube. Some videos are equivalent to a dare or prank while other challenges have been linked to charitable causes such as the Ice Bucket Challenge which helped the ALS (Lou Gherig’s Disease) Foundation raise over $115 million in the U.S. alone. Although the media has presented viral video challenges as a new trend, the idea behind the video challenge is not new. For generations, people have been daring one another to do ridiculous and even harmful stunts similar to the prank pulled by Schwartz on Flick in “A Christmas Story” (Warner Bros, 1983).
I Triple-Dog-Dare You
In the film, Flick and Schwartz argue over what would happen if a person would stick their tongue to a frozen flag pole; during which Schwartz dares Flick to back his words with actions. Flick accepts the challenge which results in an agonizing outcome. Fire engines pull up to the school campus to pry the poor boy away from the icy pole, and wrap his wounded tongue in gauze.
Flick: Are you kidding? Stick my tongue to that stupid pole? That’s dumb!
Schwartz: That’s ‘cause you know it’ll stick!
Flick: You’re full of it!
Schwartz: Oh yeah?
Flick: Yeah!
Schwartz: Well I double-DOG-dare ya!
Ralphie as Adult: {{narrating}} NOW it was serious. A double-dog-dare. What else was there but a “triple dare you?”…and then, the coup de grace of all dares; the sinister triple-dog-dare.
Schwartz: I TRIPLE-dog-dare ya!
Ralphie as Adult: {{narrating}} Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat!
However, unlike a stunt or prank performed in front of a small group of chums at school, a video challenge is performed before millions of viewers and shared through social media.
How does a video challenge work?
To participate in a video challenge, a person records him or herself performing the objective or stunt, and uploads the video onto the Internet—usually on YouTube. Viewers watch the event unfold post comments, and share the video with their friends on social media. Sometimes, the challenge involves a nomination of one or more friends to perpetuate the challenge.
More Subscribers, Please!
Budding YouTube vloggers often feature video challenges to acquire more views and subscriptions to their channels. These challenges are usually easy to mimic; they may also foster a sense of community among other YouTubers.
Think About It:
How is the example from the scene in “A Christmas Story” similar to the video challenges that you see on social media?
Have you or a friend ever participated in a video challenge? Which one(s)?
This series of lessons promotes critical thinking and discussion about common safety and security pitfalls related to social media activity. High school students encourage peers and younger students to "think things through" by producing and publishing media-based messages. The goal is to empower students to make wise choices. In the first lesson, students develop criteria for accepting or denying friend and follower requests. In the second lesson, students review and discuss popular video challenges that circulate on sites like YouTube.
Students explore the positive and negative aspects of participating in YouTube video challenges. They share examples of video challenges and classify them as helpful, harmless or harmful. After assessing the level of risk posed by some of these video challenges, students discuss what motivates some people to participate in challenges that are potentially harmful or life-threatening. Students examine a popular video challenge that yields positive results, and create their own video challenge in effort to raise awareness of an issue or charitable cause.
Students explore the positive and negative aspects of participating in YouTube video challenges. They share examples of video challenges and classify them as helpful, harmless or harmful. After assessing the level of risk posed by some of these video challenges, students discuss what motivates some people to participate in challenges that are potentially harmful or life-threatening. Students examine a popular video challenge that yields positive results, and create their own video challenge in effort to raise awareness of an issue or charitable cause.
Students explore the positive and negative aspects of participating in YouTube video challenges. They share examples of video challenges and classify them as helpful, harmless or harmful. After assessing the level of risk posed by some of these video challenges, students discuss what motivates some people to participate in challenges that are potentially harmful or life-threatening. Students examine a popular video challenge that yields positive results, and create their own video challenge in effort to raise awareness of an issue or charitable cause.