A 14-year-old boy died after participating in a TikTok challenge referred to as the “One Chip Challenge.” Harris Wolobah, 14, of Worcester, Massachusetts, died on Friday. His family said his death was a result of complications from an extremely spicy chip that he ate from a challenge he saw on the social media site TikTok.
A 14-year-old student from Worcester, Massachusetts, died on Friday, officials say, and his family says his death was caused by complications from eating an extremely spicy chip that’s the subject of a viral challenge.
Harris Wolobah’s mother confirmed to NBC10 Boston that the family believes the teenager died of complications from the One Chip Challenge, though the results of an autopsy were pending.
The Worcester school community was mourning Harris, a sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School, Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Rachel Monárrez said in a statement on Sunday, calling him “a rising star.”
Harris’ cause of death has not been confirmed, and officials didn’t share more info information about the circumstances around it.
The One Chip Challenge is a social media challenge that involves eating purportedly the spiciest tortilla chip in the world, then waiting as long as possible before eating or drinking something for relief. The chip, made by Paqui, comes in a coffin container and has a warning that it should be kept away from children, is only for adults to eat, and shouldn’t be eaten by anyone who’s sensitive to spicy food or with an allergen.
The video talks about Harris and his love for basketball. His coach had some kind words for him.
Watch:
There was a time when peer pressure and the desire to fit in was based more on proximity to people. In the age of social media, those rules don’t apply. The reach now is from beyond that, which is why parents need to know what their kids are up to.
Unfortunately, dangerous things like this have occurred online in the recent past too. About 5 years ago, a “tide pod” challenge emerged. This encouraged people, mostly young, to bite into a detergent pod.
News Video (5 years back):