The trend of TikTok seeking viewership with videos of people dropping heavy objects on their feet has spread, causing bewilderment. Experts have raised concerns that it could leave “suffering and disability for a lifetime.”
TikTok creators are filming videos of each item’s pain intensity after dropping heavy objects into their feet, including air fryers, toasters, vacuums, glass kettles and wooden tables.
Videos posted with the hashtag “#droppingthingsonmyfoot” have become a trend as many TikTok users have indiscriminately copied them as the number of views has soared.
Luke Filling, who lives in Bolton, England, posted a video of him running around the room in pain after dropping a toaster, air fryer and computer monitor on his foot, recording nearly 4 million views. He was surprised by saying, “It’s curious and fun, and I like to make content that I laugh at myself.”
Feeling posted a video of him dropping a drill on his foot as the video views soared. However, it was deleted because it violated TikTok community guidelines. Feeling, however, has no intention of stopping. He warned that he would continue to create content where he stomps his feet. Reece Brearley, of Manchester, said at first that he thought, ‘What kind of crazy joke is this?’ Nevertheless, he uploaded a video of him struggling in pain after dropping an old toaster he was using because he felt like he wanted to know what it felt like, and posted a video of him instantly earning over 300,000 views and dropping the vacuum again. He rated the pain of the toaster as 7 out of 10.
Both Peeling and Brearley say, “I can’t stop now” as profits are generated thanks to others who react to their pain in real time. He also gave an absurd answer, “I like the natural way I feel pain when things fall on my feet, so I have to keep filming to see their reactions.”
Experts are raising great concerns about this trend. “This behavior on TikTok, which is popular among young people, can seriously damage the nerves, bones, and joints of the foot, resulting in lifelong pain and disability,” said Dr. Benjamin Bullen, a lecturer in foot medicine at Galway University.
In fact, if heavy objects impact delicate bones and soft tissues of the feet, they can cause injuries such as fractures, sprains, and nerve damage, and if repeated trauma accumulates, it can have fatal consequences.
Brearley, who watched the video and imitated it, said, “This trend is fun, but it’s quite stupid,” and “I don’t recommend it to anyone.”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
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