Again TikTok... Multiple Teen Deaths in US Due to 'Subway Surfing'

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Recently, the short-form video sharing platform TikTok has seen the rise in popularity of a dangerous trend known as "subway surfing" in the United States. Subway surfing involves posing as if surfing on top of subway cars, a risky challenge that has resulted in the deaths of several teenagers.

According to local U.S. media outlets such as the Daily News on the 2nd (local time), subway surfing has been spreading like a trend among teenagers in New York.

These teenagers film themselves subway surfing on their smartphones and upload the videos to TikTok and other platforms to attract attention. As some teens gain many views and "likes" through subway surfing, others appear to be joining the trend.

This has led to a series of fatalities. According to the New York Police Department, on the 29th of last month, 14-year-old Jebon Fraser died around 5:30 p.m. after attempting subway surfing on a subway in Queens, New York City, when he hit a structure above the tracks.

The image on the left shows teenagers subway surfing, and the image on the right shows a 14-year-old boy who sustained serious injuries while surfing. The two photos are not directly related. [Image source=TikTok, GoFundMe]

On the 22nd of last month, 14-year-old Widdinson Garcia was found seriously injured while subway surfing on the Manhattan Metro L line.

Police investigations revealed that Garcia was surfing on the roof of a subway car traveling above ground, not underground. However, as the subway entered a tunnel section, he collided with a structure.

Another 14-year-old boy who was subway surfing with Garcia died, and Garcia, who lost consciousness, was transported to a nearby hospital. He is currently receiving treatment at Queens Medical Center and has recently regained consciousness.

However, Garcia's family stated, "He will never be able to walk again" and that "he is in need of a lot of help."

New York Mayor Eric Adams repeatedly urged people not to post videos of "subway surfing" to gain fame on social networking services (SNS) like TikTok, expressing concern over the trend. According to New York transportation authorities, seven teenagers have died this year alone while filming subway surfing videos.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time dangerous "challenge" videos have become popular on TikTok. In April, a challenge involving the mass consumption of hallucinogenic drugs went viral, resulting in the death of a 13-year-old boy.

Other controversial trends that have sparked debate include the "Blackout Challenge," where participants choke themselves until they faint; the "Skull Breaker Challenge," where two people simultaneously kick the calf of a third person to make them fall; and challenges involving stealing cars.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.