9-year-old boy suffers burns after attempting viral social media trend. Multiple similar cases reported in US

9-year-old boy injured after attempting viral social media trend. (AI-generated image)

Viral social media trends can seem harmless or entertaining, but they can quickly turn dangerous when children try to imitate them without understanding the risks. A nine-year-old boy in the United States, Caleb Chabolla, suffered severe burns after attempting a TikTok challenge involving a gel-filled sensory toy, underlining the potential dangers of online trends aimed at young audiences.

As reported by the PEOPLE, on the morning of 20 January, Caleb was preparing to leave for school when he put a NeeDoh Nice Cube in the microwave in an attempt to make the gel-filled toy more pliable. The toy’s manufacturer, Schylling, warns against heating it, but Caleb had heard about the trend from a friend.

Caleb’s mother, Whitney Grubb, said she had gone to the garage to warm up the car when she heard the microwave start. “After hearing what she described as a blood‑curdling scream, she knew something was wrong,” the hospital reported. When Caleb opened the microwave, the gel inside the toy exploded, covering his face and hands.

Mrs Grubb tried to rinse the substance off in the shower, but it did not work. She took him to the emergency room, and he was later transferred to Loyola Medicine Burn Center. Caleb also saw an ophthalmologist after his eye swelled shut. Doctors confirmed that his vision was not affected, and he is now recovering at home.

The NeeDoh Nice Cube is a sensory toy designed for stretching, smushing, and squeezing. Its official description cautions against heating, freezing, or microwaving the toy, as this may cause injury. Whitney Grubb said her son got the idea from social media. Paula Petersen, an advanced practice nurse at Loyola, said, “These trends can be extremely dangerous for young people who are less likely to consider or unable to understand the serious consequences.”

Caleb’s case is not the only one. CBS News reported this was the fourth such incident involving the toy. In one case, a child heated it in the microwave, put her finger on it, and it burned her finger.

Experts point out that viral social media content often shows only the “fun” part and not the risks. As per reports, authorities and parents are using Caleb’s story to stress the importance of supervising children online and discussing the risks of copying online trends.

Kelly McElligott, burn outreach coordinator at Loyola, said, “Whether it’s these toys that clearly have a label that say ‘don’t heat,’ but kids aren’t going to read labels. Or it’s ramen noodles coming out of the microwave that kids spill on themselves, or little kids pulling hot coffee off the counter. These are injuries we see every year at the burn centre. Thirty percent of our patients are pediatric patients. I think it’s every day common things in the home that are burning these kids and we want to make sure that parents should be diligent about what’s in their house.”