Teens have participated in dangerous viral challenges in the past that involved them eating cleaning products, or most recently, contaminating food in grocery stores.
Now, there's a new viral trend that's wrongly telling teens that at-home pregnancy tests contain emergency contraceptives.
These platforms give us a chance to connect with friends, share pictures, and find out about new products and services.
All it takes is for one false post to go viral, and soon people will start believing what they see without asking further questions.
These individuals might be more susceptible to believing false health information that could lead to dangerous consequences.
According to the teens in these videos, the pregnancy tests contain the Plan B pill, an emergency contraceptive to be used after unprotected sex or in cases where the primary birth control failed.
These tablets are often found in packaging and absorb moisture so that the product will work properly.
TikTok allows users to upload short videos and tag them with viral hashtags. The pregnancy test rumors emerged as a part of a trend known as "The Clearblue Challenge".
Most users are typically surprised to see the tablet and conclude that the rumors about the included Plan B pill must be true.
Other users have been making their own versions of these videos explaining what the tablet actually is. People have also commented on the original videos trying to dispell any misinformation.
"Clearblue pregnancy tests do NOT contain Plan B pills. All our tests have a small desiccant tablet which is included to absorb moisture and should not be eaten," a spokesperson said to Parents.com.
"If accidentally ingested we ask people to please seek medical advice and for any further questions contact our careline at 1-800-321-3279," Clearblue said.
It is the only emergency contraceptive that is available over-the-counter and can be purchased by anyone, regardless of age or gender.
Typically, the earliest a woman can take a pregnancy test is two weeks after conception. By that time, an emergency contraceptive like Plan B would not be effective or safe.
The more informed they are, the less likely they are to fall for misinformation on social media.
Really, the last place you want a teen to find out this information is from social media, because as these videos prove, the information that's out there is usually wrong.
It's getting more difficult for parents to monitor their teen's social media use, but giving them the tools they need can help them safely navigate the false information floating around online.
