Step aside Tide Pods and Momo challenges, because the latest teen trend to creep onto SnapChat is the “Shell On Challenge.” But unlike the more dangerous laundry detergent version or the fake Momo challenge that got parents freaked out, this one sees kids eating food items without removing the “packaging” — like candy that’s in wrappers or bananas with their peels still on.
The story broke after friends of Liam Hamm posted a Snapchat video of the sophomore from Tempe, AZ biting through a plastic bag of carrots. The short clip can be viewed below.
“It just looks funny, because it’s not really a shell but people are calling things shells. I guess that is what’s funny about it,” he said. While most people were eating fruit with peels you’d normally discard — like an orange or lemon — kids like Hamm are taking it to the next level with wrappers and packaging.
“It’s the Tide Pod challenge minus the fact that it’s not dangerous,” he said.
While it is true that this is relatively safe compared to the Tide Pod version, that doesn’t make this challenge healthy. Dr. Max Pitt tells The New York Post, “Organic material like fruit peels are typically not dangerous. Zest is often used in recipes (lemon zest) which is the shavings of the rind. Eating plastic, on the other hand, can be dangerous. BPA has been suggested to influence hormones. Chemicals in PVC like vinyl chloride have been linked to cancers.”
Parent groups aren’t panicking yet, but Twitter has erupted with responses, and none of them are positive. This post pretty much sums it up.
Shell On Challenge – Sources
Top Image (Snapchat)
Liam Hamm interview in AZCentral
New York Post