There was the Tide Pod Challenge. The Condom Challange. The Hot Water Challenge. The "In My Feelings" Challenge. And the "Bird Box" Challenge.

If you're not sure what I am talking about, just Google them. These were just some of the challenges that sprouted up from YouTube and social media. For the most part, with the exception of the occasional idiot, they were harmless.

Unfortunately, there is a new challenge that has emerged.

According to the New York Post, the 48 Hour Challenge has begun to make the rounds, and the police are not happy about it.

“The challenge encourages teens to go missing for up to 2 days at a time and awards points for every social media mention while they are missing,” according to Tippencoe County (Indiana) Sheriff Bob Smith.

Obviously, the unnecessary stress and anxiety this challenge would place on friends and family are obvious. But even more so, it runs the risk of negatively affecting local law enforcement.

As Sheriff Bob Smith points out in his post:

"Runaway and missing person reports are very serious matters and to use these attention seeking type challenges pulls law enforcement away from their many other duties."

Kids may see it as harmless, but I could potentially see local law enforcement agencies billing a family for the cost of any search and rescue operations launched as a result of this "harmless" prank.

So, parents, you might want to nip this one in the bud. Just in case.

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