21 February,2020 07:47 AM IST | Mumbai | The Editorial
This image has been used for representational purposes only
A new challenge, spreading like wildfire on social media and TikTok, has left parents and educational institutions worried. Globally, parents have flagged the 'skull-breaker' act as deadly, but city colleges and schools are in a conundrum about whether to talk to students about the dangers associated with the game.
A report in this paper stated that one of the posts on Twitter warned that the act can either 'break skull' or 'cause some serious problem'.
There have been warnings in some countries. The game involves a trip who have to jump. The person in the middle is kicked by two people while he leaps resulting in a fall. The fall is hard and can result in very serious injury.
Educational institutes are treading a fine line between advisory and curiousity. Many are wondering whether speaking to youngsters about this and the dangers of skull-breaker will actually stoke curiousity, tempting them to try it. Others state they will issue some kind of advisory.
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Schools and colleges must do their research to be apprised of this game and the viral trends surrounding it. They then need to speak to students in a clear, concise manner.
They can puncture curiousity fears by stating in no uncertain manner that this is certainly not cool. They can speak about the dangers to the person involved but also the price one's family pays if things spiral out of control. Counsellors can front this initiative as they are trained to talk to youngsters.
Since the information is out on the Internet, students do have access to read up about this game. They must be warned against playing it, using lingo and tenor that resonates with the generation. Take on the skull-breaker, head on.
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