The popular movie 'Bird Box', now streaming on NetFlix, starring Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson,where the stars have to remain blindfolded to keep themselves from seeing visions that encourage them to kill themselves, has led way to the 'Bird Box Challenge'.
The 'Bird Box Challenge' was made popular by YouTuber Jake Paul and involves him blindfolding himself whilst doing various tasks e.g. walking into ongoing traffic and driving...
...Which is exactly what (according to the British Broadcasting Corporation's 'World News'), a 17-year old did on Friday, January 11,2019, when she drove her car unto the highway with a hat over her head and a car crashed into hers.
She wore a hat over her head to carry out the actions in the 'Bird Box Challenge'.
Now, Jake Paul has a rabid YouTube following of nearly 18 million subscribers.
His 'Bird Box Challenge' video was pulled from YouTube on January 2,2019.
Netflix subsequently produced a warning to all their users who were thinking of trying the 'Bird Box Challenge', “not to hurt themselves.”
Really? Not to hurt themselves?
Netflix isn't new to producing TV shows and movies that spark great controversy...in fact, it's a part of their marketing strategy to attract viewers.
(Examples include 'Insatiable', 'To the Bone' and '13 Reasons Why').
So their executives must be grinning at the free publicity that the movie has derived from Jake Paul and his antics on YouTube.
(There are several copycat videos on YouTube showing teens carrying out different Bird Box Challenges of their own e.g. trying to navigate obstacle courses with huge slides in parks with their eyes blindfolded).
One of the policemen who observed the results of the car crash says that it's the most preposterous thing that he has seen.
(The police have requested that the teen be charged with reckless driving).
I can tell you that this teen will not be the last person to act dangerously as a result of the 'Bird Box Challenge'...
...Well, Girl With a Purpose girls and women, please ensure that you are not one of them...
...You are not bird brains - not because something is popular means that you should do it.
After all, if you saw ten people jumping over a cliff, would you join them?
No you wouldn't.
Movies are just make-believe, fiction.
YouTube is an outlet for people to express their opinions, right or wrong, of their view of the world.
No matter the artificial high you get or experience from watching a movie or YouTube video, think things through carefully before following any actions encouraged in these and other media.
You should ask yourselves, "what are the rewards (the high) or the consequences (death) of my actions, should I do this thing, that the movie/YouTube video purports, now and in the future?"
If the consequences outweigh the rewards, then don't do it.
This car crash could have lead to injury or even death for the 17-year-old girl and others. (No one was seriously injured as a result of the crash).
It has no doubt led to destruction of property, (just look at the pictures of the car that she was in and the car that drove into hers in article,"US driver in 'Bird Box blindfold' crashes in Utah",BBC World News (US & Canada), January 11,2019.
The damaged property can be replaced (at a huge cost), but could she have replaced her limb or her life, or those of others?
Think before you do, young people...just think!
Nuff said (Jamaican meaning, enough has been said).
Gillian
Sources Include:
1) Official 'Bird Box' Trailer, via YouTube
2) British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World News, January 11,2019
3) Article, "Netflix's most controversial movies and TV shows", via Looper.com
4) Article,"US driver in 'Bird Box blindfold' crashes in Utah",BBC World News (US & Canada), January 11,2019
5) Article, "YouTuber Jake Paul walks through traffic, drives blindfolded in ‘Bird Box’ challenge", by Katie Scott, GlobalNews.ca
6) Jake Paul Productions subscriber count via SocialBlade.com
