We all know that the internet has become a little bit of an issue, whether it's fake news, cyberbullying, or harmful internet challenges. Recently, an 11-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital when his friend dumped boiling water on him as part of an Instagram challenge.
Billy Oliver was at a friend's house and his friend was playing Fortnite when Billy decided to go to bed sleep. At 2:30 in the morning, he was woke up to incredible pain as his friend had poured boiling water on him.
"It was a ten. On a one, well on a zero to ten scale how bad it hurt, it was a ten," said Billy. "Uh, so you had to take some boiling hot water 212 degrees and pour it on someone or you had to drink it."
That's the challenge in a nutshell. If you don't pour the boiling water on someone, you have to drink it. Two years ago, an eight-year-old girl died drinking boiling water as part of this challenge.
"Education is the only thing we can do right now. The parents need to speak, you need to talk with your child. My child had stayed many a night with this boy and I never would have put him in danger but it's a challenge you know," said Billy's mother Patricia Oliver.
Billy's sister, Emily, posted about the ordeal on Facebook, as well.
"This is a challenge!?!?!" she wrote. "Who would want to boil water and throw it on someone I have more kids/tens on my page so if you think this challenge is harmless this is my brother he stayed all night with his friend and while he was asleep his friend boiled water and threw it on him and laughed when he tried to get his cloths off!?!? This is no joke if you are a parent please talk to your kids about this challenge my brother is in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital because of this and has to have surgery this challenge is not a game it’s dangerous!!!!"
The challenge has doctors stunned and concerned about what's happening in the world.
"When I first heard about it I was amazed," said Dr. Susan Pollack, a pediatrician from the Kentucky Children's Hospital. "I mean, I am familiar with various things that people do that aren't very wise. To burn someone is to inflict such incredible pain and suffering on them and I don't think that is the intent."
The water pourer's mother, Angela Guth, is facing charges of second-degree criminal abuse and first-degree endangerment charges because she didn't take Billy to get medical help after he was injured.
It's ridiculous that kids not only have access to these types of challenges, but also that they are willing to follow through on them.
