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A doctor of podiatric medicine is warning people that a TikTok trend that’s gone viral under the hashtag #droppingthingsonmyfoot can leave participants disabled for life. The trend involves, as one might surmise, people making videos of themselves dropping things on their feet. They then give a rating of how much pain the object that was dropped on their foot caused. Thank goodness TikTok’s ban in America was halted, right?
Among the hundreds of items that TikTok users have filmed themselves dropping on their feet are pots and pans, an air fryer, a toaster, a computer monitor, a vacuum cleaner, a drill, a wooden table, and even their dog. To no one’s surprise, medical experts are advising against participating in the ill-advised trend.
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“I find the viral #droppingthingsonmyfeet TikTok trend troubling and strongly encourage readers not to engage in this risky challenge,” Dr. Benjamin Bullen, lecturer in podiatric medicine at the University of Galway told Express. “This trend, encouraging participants to drop sharp and increasingly heavy household objects on their feet, is highly likely to result in foot injuries.
“TikTok is particularly popular among young people, who may be setting themselves up for a lifetime of pain and disability, if they significantly damage the nerves, bones and joints of their feet.”
So why are people dropping things on their feet, even if it hurts and can possibly cause long-lasting damage? Obviously, for the views and the potential income that comes with their videos being monetized.
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As TikTok user Reece Brierley from Manchester in the United Kingdom said, he created the first video just to find out “how it felt,” but he made subsequent videos because “it brought people to my page.”
“Generally, people are going to do (the trend) anyway but now you can monetize it, so people are going to do it more,” he said. “People probably will jump on it for the views and for the fame, but I also think people would just do it regardless.”