Bird Box Challenge

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About

Bird Box Challenge is a hashtag used to catalogue participants of the social challenge in which people attempt to complete everyday tasks while blindfolded, akin to main characters of 2018 Netflix-produced film Bird Box.

Origin

On December 21st, 2018, Netflix-produced^[1] film Bird Box premiered on the platform following a brief theatrical run. The plot of the film follows a woman, played by Sandra Bullock, and her two children, who must make it through a forest and a river while wearing blindfolds.

On December 6th, 2018, Twitch streamer geekgg^[2] tweeted about being challenged by Netflix ANZ Twitter to take part in the #BirdBoxChallenge by attempting to survive a Crash Bandicoot level while wearing a blindfold (shown below, left). In the following days, several other streamers reported receiving similar challenges from Netflix.

Spread

On December 23rd, 2018, Facebook^[3] user Lamborghini Law posted a photograph of himself holding hands with two children, all blindfolded. In the post, the hashtag #BirdBoxChallenge was used. On the next day, the photograph was circulated heavily across social networks, with the hashtag appearing in numerous posts.

Starting December 24th, 2018, videos in which participants attempted to perform everyday tasks while blindfolded began appearing on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. A video posted by YouTuber Morgan Adams on December 30th, 2018, in which she spent 24 hours blindfolded, gained 2.1 million views within five days (shown below, left). On December 27th, YouTube channel Gravity1media posted a challenge compilation (shown below, right).

As the challenge rose in popularity, recordings of incidents involving blindfolded participants emerged online.

The challenge also prompted an appearance of jokes and comedy sketches mocking its concept.

#BirdboxChallenge pic.twitter.com/lDr3RH5yVl
— Timothy DeLaGhetto (@TimothyDeLaG) January 1, 2019

According to a Fox News^[4] article published on January 2nd, 2018, no serious injuries related to the challenge had been reported.

Netflix Reaction

On January 2nd, 2019, Netflix^[5] posted a tweet warning people against hurting themselves while attempting to participate in the challenge. The post gained over 50,000 retweets within a day.

Layton City Car Accident

On January 11th, 2019, the offiial Twitter^[6] account for the Layton City, Utah police department tweeted that a 17-year-old driver collided with another car on Monday, January 7th, 2019. According to reports, she had attempted to drive while blindfolded with a 16-year-old passenger in the car. Soon after the challenge began, the car drifted into the opposite lane and crashed into an oncoming pickup truck, a telephone pole and, finally, a sound wall.^[7] No injuries were reported, but the teen driver may be charged with reckless driving.

The Layton City Police Department posted pictures of the accident on the social media website and wrote, "Bird Box Challenge while driving…predictable result. This happened on Monday as a result of the driver covering her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway. Luckily no injuries." The tweet received more than 890 retweets and 1,800 likes in four days (shown below).

That day, Redditor ^[8] kr0sswalk posted about the accident in the /r/news subreddit. The post received more than 2,300 points (93% upvoted) and 500 comments in four days.

Additionally, KUTV, a local CBS affiliate, posted an interview with Layton City Police Department Lieutenant Travis Lyman , who explained the accident in greater detail, on Facebook. The post received more than 195 reactions, 85 shares and 36,000 views in four days (shown below).