ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Arbor Hill Elementary School community is mourning after a student died Saturday night while attempting a dangerous social media challenge. Officials with the school said in a letter to the community on Sunday that the student’s death followed an accident at home and was seemingly connected to a TikTok challenge.
Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox!
According to the Albany Police Department, officers responded to a home on Judson Street near Clinton Avenue around 6:20 p.m. for a medical call. Police said they found the child unresponsive while her mother performed CPR.
Officers took over until medical first responders arrived, and the child was transported to Albany Medical Center, where she died. Law enforcement said the death has been determined to be accidental they said, “No social media trend or challenge is worth risking a life or the lives of others. we encourage parents and guardians to speak with their children about the dangers and risks of participating in these challenges on social media platforms.”
Albany Police Department to give out free groceries
Arbor Hill Elementary School Principal Rosalind Gaines-Harrell said that although social media challenges seem interesting and fun, the risks can be more hazardous than kids estimate. Gaines-Harrell also stated the school’s Crisis Response Team is available for students in need of support, in addition to counselors, support staff, and therapy dogs.
Grocery gift cards for Albany Co. SNAP households
Key points parents can use when speaking to their children include listening to their thoughts and feelings, explaining the physical dangers of the challenge, and keeping open communication with their child by assuring them they are safe to talk to without fear of judgment. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis and need immediate help to please call (518) 292-5499.
Local Mental Health Psychotherapist Sativa Bigelow said the risks on social media are all too real but there are a couple of things you can do to help protect your child from the dangers of these social media challenges. “There should be restrictions on anything that is threatening to your child’s physical health or mental health. Put restrictions even on YouTube. Because I think that a lot of times there’s hidden messages and when children are left to their own devices, they sometimes don’t know what is happening,” explained Bigelow…