Angelica Cheyenne 
Over the last few years, social media has become the birthplace of questionable and often bizarre challenges. These challenges tend to quickly diminish the common sense and rationale in many individuals once a new social media trend arises from a viral video of someone doing something peculiar.
Viral social media trends have gotten people to swallow dry cinnamon, #CinnamonChallenge, eat Tide Pods, #TidePodChallenge, and stand up for ALS by getting drenched in ice water, #IceBucketChallenge. As illogical as some of these social media trends may be, many still willingly engage, hoping to get their fifteen minutes of fame—even if they’re harmed in the process.
The latest stupid, and highly dangerous, social media challenge sweeping TikTok and Instagram alike is the #MilkCrateChallenge. Participants of this trend have to stack empty milk crates in a makeshift pyramid-like structure, and then climb said structure like it’s a staircase without knocking the crates over or falling.
To make the challenge less easy the milk crate pyramid is often stacked high, heightening the chances of injury—and man have there been tons of injuries. Albeit there have been a lucky few that were poised enough to tread across the pyramidic milk crates without a stumble, that doesn’t represent the masses.
For every one video of someone successfully climbing up the milk crates and back down to the ground, there are tons of videos of people face-planting. Those who epically fail a social media challenge, a.k.a. the face-planters, always contributes to the popularization of a social media trend.
Despite more people failing the #MilkCrateChallenge than triumphing, many eager contenders try their best to walk up the holey milk crates. Many that are doing the #MilkCrateChallenge do so because they assume it’s any easy feat. In reality, the #MilkCrateChallenge is the quickest way to earn a trip to the emergency room.
“The Milk Crate Challenge is very dangerous, and we are seeing many orthopedic injuries as a result of the falls,” Dr. Shawn Anthony, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, told TODAY Parents. “Injuries can include broken wrists, shoulder dislocations, ACL and meniscus tears, as well as life-threatening conditions like spinal cord injuries.”
So if you’re contemplating doing this crazy challenge, don’t. It’s not worth your spinal cord.
Brandon Foley 
Alex Tisdale 
danafialkowski 
Julius Kwan 
