Assoc. Prof. stated that families are not aware of these trends that threaten children. Dr. Uncle Sabriye said, “Our families think that what their children share with their friend groups on their phones is very innocent. However, in the events that increase the sense of imitation and curiosity arising from social media, the child tries to implement them exactly.
He is curious and tries to make a video. ‘How does a lighter burn?’, ‘How does it burn if we spill cologne?’, ‘How does it burn if you ignite one side of your sweater with a lighter?’ These are shown as videos on social media. The child also wants to repeat the same. Unfortunately, when he repeats the same thing, we cannot escape with a minor burn. We encounter results that are quite deep and require a lot of surgery. “These patients come to us with permanent scars, permanent disabilities and reduced mobility,” he said.
“IT APPEALS TO THE CHILD’S SENSE OF CURIOUSNESS”
Assoc. Prof. emphasized that children with serious burns come to Bursa City Hospital Burn Center every month and that this can result in death. Dr. Uncle said, “Families and teachers at school also need to be very sensitive and pay attention to this issue. “We should never forget that social media is not very innocent and appeals to the child’s sense of curiosity,” he said.
“KEEP FLAMMABLE MATERIALS AWAY FROM CHILDREN”
Listing the methods to protect children from dangerous current, Assoc. Dr. Uncle said, “It is important that there are no flammable materials in the house. It is also important that children’s certain areas of movement on social media and the websites they can access are restricted. Even when families talk about such topics jokingly among themselves, it can become a situation that children need to imitate. “Therefore, it may be beneficial for family members to seek help from a psychologist from time to time,” he said.
DANGEROUS CURRENT TOOK LIVES
10-year-old Mert Yetiştiren, who lives in Izmir, experimented by watching cologne burning trend videos on TikTok. The little boy, who poured cologne on himself and set him on fire with a lighter, could not extinguish the flames and suffered burns on his body. The boy extinguished the fire with difficult efforts and then reported the situation to his family by phone. The mother came home and then took Mert Yetiştiren to the hospital. The little boy, who struggled to survive for 16 days, lost his life.
(UAV)