Teens Are Apparently Consuming Tide Pods For A Viral Challenge, And No One Understands It

There may be no escape from Trump’s denying his “sh*thole countries” remark (while confirmation is ongoing), but there is a weird detour in the news cycle that involves … Tide Pods? Specifically, the story involves reports of teens eating the detergent-filled devices, which sounds like an even worse idea than the Condom Challenge of yesteryear. Yet as the above ABC News clip insists, the Tide Pod Challenge is a very real thing, and a handy compilation is sitting on YouTube for anyone who wants to see people, uh, chewing Tide Pods.

As a result, there are tons of headlines about the danger of this inexplicable trend. ABC News reports that 10 deaths have resulted since the highly-concentrated doses of detergent became available on the market. USA Today notes that eating these pods can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. And Tide is warning consumers, “They should not be played with, whatever the circumstance is, even if meant as a joke.”

Meanwhile, people are struggling to understand why this could possibly be a thing. Sadly, there appears to be no conclusive answer, but people are trying…

https://twitter.com/AlexVGibson/status/950606350492622848
https://twitter.com/vinnycrack/status/951673845936615424

https://twitter.com/RobertWiesehan/status/951917717531054080
https://twitter.com/TheKalenAllen/status/951787294687727616

Indeed, 2018 is a very strange year already, and it’s only January.

(Via ABC News & USA Today)