Posted on 05/10/2022 at 4:34 p.m.,
Reading 2 mins.
You may have heard of it: the #LabelloChallenge is the new trendy morbid “game” among teenagers. Indeed, there is nothing insignificant about it, despite its name, because it incites suicide. The Ministry of the Interior calls for vigilance with adolescents. Update with Dr. Joachim Mullner, psychiatrist at the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris.
This new challenge, like many others before it, can be very dangerous. Indeed, this challenge drives adolescents to suicide or scarification. Explanations.
A challenge circulating on social networks
The #LabelloChallenge originated on the social network Tiktok. While it’s named after a famous lip balm, it’s actually more serious.
Indeed, the #labellochallenge, also called #jeuduLabello or #ChapstickChallenge initially consisted of applying the product to the lips and then kissing someone on the mouth so that they could guess the taste.
But this version quickly changed to something more morbid.
An incitement to suicide
From now on, the “game” is no longer really one. The rules of the #LabelloChallenge have changed and now the teenager is filming himself putting on Labello or cutting out a piece of his lip balm every time he gets upset. And when he reaches the end of the tube, he is supposed to scarify himself or commit suicide.
Why are teenagers tempted by this type of practice? According to Dr. Mullner, “adolescence is a phase of personality construction, and Western and capitalist culture encourages performance and comparison with one’s fellows. And social networks have catalyzed this, young people are pushed to this kind of challenge, which one finds as a stupid adult, but which for them is a means of anxiety from the existential angst that they encounter and fill with a pleasant feeling, personality and courage”.
A tweet to alert those around teens
This challenge has grown to such an extent that the authorities have sounded the alarm.
In a tweet, the Ministry of the Interior warns parents, adolescents and those around them. “Certain viral practices and trends can make social networks a dangerous playground. Be attentive and listen to the young people around you, if you observe a change in behavior“.
Parents need to take an interest in their child’s daily life and notice the changes. According to the specialist,it goes through a change of attitude, aggressiveness, loss of appetite, sleep, drug use, school results in free fall…”.
Advice and numbers to call in case of illness
As a reminder, in case of distress, it is possible to find support on all these free numbers and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
- The national suicide prevention number, 3114
- The SOS Friendship association on 09 72 39 40 50
- Suicide’s number listens on 01 45 39 40 00.
And Dr Mullner reminds us that if we suspect that a teenager wants to harm himself, there are two scenarios: “if the young person is doing well enough to be able to completely reassure the person in front of him then he It’s about remaining vigilant, present and attentive, but if this is not the case, you should not wait and bring him back immediately to the emergency room for a psychological evaluation and possible care “.