8 Internet Challenges That Went Wildly Out of Control (2 of 5)

2. Planking

At its cutest, planking is human furniture cosplay: kitchen counters, supermarket aisles, office cubicles —just snap the pic and move on. Then came rooftops, ledges, and zoo enclosures, because the internet can’t leave anything at level one. The plank isn’t the issue here—it’s when people take it to absurd extremes. Gravity cannot be defied, and hospitals have the bills to prove that.

3. The Hot Pepper Challenge

Chilies in food? Delicious in moderation. Is it preferable to eat the sizzling pepper raw or to snort hot sauce to impress strangers? That’s when you realize that having common sense has become a privilege. The headaches, vomiting, and eventual ER visits were a staple of these dumb challenges. Capsaicin isn’t concerned about your follower count. It will introduce your digestive system to the concept of regret, personally and forcefully.