In December 2021, Tawainna Anderson experienced every parent's worst nightmare: She found her 10-year-old daughter, Nylah, hanging by a purse strap in a bedroom closet. Anderson called 911 and attempted CPR until the ambulance arrived, but after several days in intensive care, her daughter was pronounced dead.
Based on a search of her devices, police later determined the girl was attempting a viral challenge from TikTok, the social media video platform with over a billion monthly active users, 28 percent of whom are under the age of 20. TikTok challenges involve users recording themselves performing a particular act or feat and calling on other users to do it too. The videos typically feature a common hashtag to make them easy to search for. TikTok users also have a personalized "For You Page" (FYP), where the app curates suggested videos based on each user's viewing habits.
