As we enter 2019, we continue to make the same mistakes we made in 2018. In 2019, our culture has participated in dangerous social media challenges like “Bird Box.”

The “Bird Box challenge” is when a person does everyday activities like walking, cooking etc. with a blindfold over their eyes. While this challenge may seem simple and harmless, according to usatoday.com, many people have had injuries from participating in the “Bird Box challenge.”

On a poll on Facebook, over 70 percent of ULM students said they had never participated in a social media challenge. Yet, some students still participate in these challenges keeping the trend alive.

As a culture, we continuously participate in dangerous challenges like the “cinnamon challenge,” the “tide pod challenge” and the “Kylie Jenner lip challenge.”

Our culture is so consumed in being a part of what is trending that we do not care about potentially harming ourselves or others. 

So why do we participate in such dangerous challenges? Our culture enjoys feeling like they are trendy, included and living in the moment rather than focusing on what dangers could occur.

When we participate in harmful challenges, we feel like we are a part of something that everyone is doing. According to socialpsychonline.com, feeling socially excluded can cause damage to you mentally.

In reality, we are just putting our bodies at harm over something we probably will not even remember when we are 60-70 years old. What is trending today could easily be gone tomorrow.

When we feel included by others who do the challenges too, it releases dopamine, a chemical that is associated with feelings of happiness and pleasure. According to newsweek.com, dopamine is released in our body when we have money, sex or food- what we desire.

When we care so much about the challenge in the moment, we lose sight on what could possibly go wrong when doing this challenge. We focus too much on who will see our video, how popular it will be and where it should be filmed that we do not think of the possible dangers that could occur with it.

It should not be trendy to have burns on our arms from salt and ice. It should not be trendy to jump out of cars and almost get hit by other vehicles just to dance to Drake.

I have a new challenge for our culture to participate in- the kindness challenge. This challenge is to be kind to those you have a relationship with like family members, relationship companions and friends for 30 days.

Shaunti Feldhahn, author of “The Kindness Challenge,” shared on her website, jointhekindnesschallenge.com, that there are only three kindness tactics to better your relationships. First, stop yourself from saying negative things about that person to them and others.

Second, begin commenting on the positive attributes of that person to them and other people. Lastly, do small and thoughtful acts for that person every day.

According to jointhekindnesschallenge.com, this challenge had an 89 percent success rate in improving relationships. By taking the kindness challenge, this will benefit you and your loved one in every aspect of your relationship.

Let’s stop harming ourselves and others by doing trending challenges that eventually pass. Let’s start improving our lives and relationships with kindness to everyone we come into contact with.