There is a famous proverb that says it “takes a village to raise a child.” To be fair, this rings more true now than it ever has. The “constantly connected” generation is under immense peer pressure and various studies have shown how social media is threatening the mental health of teens, pushing kids towards anxiety and depression. To make matters worse, online bullying and digital peer pressure pushed some teens towards suicide, while others kids to overcome social media-induced eating disorders. Unfortunately, since the rise of TikTok and online challenges, parents have to be aware of other threats to their kid’s physical health and mental wellbeing. Unfortunately, teens are now taking part in viral social media stunts that could bring dangerous repercussions.

Peer pressure and the need for affirmation have pushed kids to take part in the risky “blackout challenge,” which parents blamed for multiple deaths. The New York Post says the challenge “hypes a form of self-strangulation by challenging users to see how long they can go holding their breath. This sometimes dangerous game can restrict oxygen to the brain, potentially resulting in seizures, serious injury or death.”

More recently, the police have linked TikTok challenges to the theft of certain Kia and Hyundai cars. The seriously dumb challenge sees kids encourage each other online to steal cars using a USB cord. But if you think seeing your kid being sent to jail is the worst thing that could happen to you, think again because this risky and very dumb social media fad could kill your kid.

Related: Here's How A TikTok Challenge Has Created An Increase In Theft Of Korean Cars

Kia USB Theft
Fox News

ABC News reported that a horrible car crash took the lives of four teenagers in Buffalo, New York, at the inbound Kensington Expressway (33) and the Scajaquada Expressway (198). Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told reporters that the teens may have been engaged in the TikTok Kia theft challenge that became popular during the summer. It’s worth noting that the owner reported the car stolen during the weekend. But, instead of returning the vehicle, the teens took it for a ride and wrecked it in a deadly crash. Marcus Webster, 19, Swazine Swindle, 17, Kevin Payne, 16, and Ahjanae Harper, 14 lost their lives while the fifth passenger remains hospitalized in ICU. According to the New York Post, Harper was a young mother who had just welcomed a baby girl. The hospital has already discharged the 16-year-old driver, but the police ticketed him for criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

“This is a terrible terrible outcome for such young kids that had their entire lives in front of them,” said Buffalo Police commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia.

Related: These Are The 10 Most Stolen Cars In The United States

This Is Why Kia And Hyundai Should Issue A Nationwide Recall For Certain Models

tiktok kia hyundai car theft
via: The Detroit Bureau

In September, the hashtag “Kia Boys” which glorifies car theft had 33 million views on TikTok, according to CNBC. Furthermore, illicit behavior has escalated since the challenge started trending in 2021. And the police have connected more than a third of all car thefts that occurred in St. Petersburg, Florida since mid-July to the TikTok trend. At the same time, authorities in Los Angeles claim that the challenge has boosted auto theft of Hyundai and Kias by 85 percent when compared to 2021. While it is obvious that these youngsters and the social media platform, TikTok, are the ones responsible for the illegal activities, some observers claim that Kia and Hyundai are also at fault because their cars lack anti-theft components like engine immobilizers.

Ken McClain, an attorney in Missouri, argues that the automakers manufactured vehicles that are too easy to hijack. He even refers to the problem as a “defect,” before mentioning that his firm has filed class action lawsuits in 12 states so far: California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Texas. MLG Attorneys at Law filed another federal class action suit in California and the attorneys are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to take legal action against the automakers “for failing to install engine immobilizers on their vehicles, a technology used by nearly all other major manufacturers that protects the cars from theft.”

Given the current situation, experts, victims and lawyers are calling for a nationwide recall for Kia and Hyundai models that use a steel key. However, until today, Hyundai only offers a security kit, which retails for $170, and it stated that it will release a software update in 2023. It goes without saying that owners are angry that Hyundai doesn't pay for the cost of the kit itself. But many owners are unaware that they must also pay for the kit's installation, which can cost up to $500. Considering the significant expenditures associated with this misadventure, it’s understandable why lawyers and Kia and Hyundai buyers are furious and demand a total recall of these cars.

"We're receiving dozens of calls a day," Ken McClain told CNBC. "The manufacturer[s] ought to be paying for this."