Crossing borders

Everything for the K(l)ick! Influencers in mortal danger

Allanah Harris poisoned her daughter - for followers and donations.

(Bild: Allanah Harris)

In order to be admired on social media, people often cross boundaries until the greed for fans comes to a tragic end.

Allanah Harris told millions of followers about her daughter Daisy's brain tumor and collected donations. But the hospital exposed the Australian: apparently she had poisoned the baby with sedatives. Now the mother is facing prison and the loss of all four children.

Vienna subway surfer
People are increasingly putting their lives and the lives of others at risk in order to go viral on social media. The case in Vienna , where two teenagers surfed on the roof of a moving subway train - live on TikTok - was particularly dramatic. As they entered Schönbrunn station, they crashed into an overpass. Their last message to the world: a deadly livestream.

Subway drama in Vienna: Even the first responders could see that the two boys had virtually no chance of survival.

(Bild: Leserreporter, Krone KREATIV)

YouTuber deliberately crashed the plane
The action of YouTuber Trevor Jacob in the USA was particularly dangerous for others. He deliberately crashed his plane in 2021. He feigned an emergency and jumped out of the plane with a parachute, all in front of the cameras. He then walked for hours through the wilderness, allegedly looking for help. He secretly destroyed the wreckage to prevent an investigation. The receipt: six months in prison. He has already got his pilot's license back - as well as his YouTube channel and fans.

Pilot Trevor Jacob even crashed an airplane

(Bild: Trevor Jacob)

Experts around the world are sounding the alarm. The New York Times recently quoted psychologist Jean Twenge, who explained: "Social media makes young people feel like they have to constantly fight for validation. They chase likes like others chase money. The cost is immeasurable."

Social media makes young people feel like they are constantly fighting for validation. They chase likes like others chase money. The cost is immeasurable.

Jean Twenge, Psychologe

Michael Carr-Gregg, an Australian psychologist, also spoke of a "toxic culture of constant competition for visibility" that is dragging young people in particular into the abyss. They put their safety at risk just to be part of the social media hype.

In order to be admired on social media, people often cross boundaries - until the greed for fans comes to a tragic end.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Krone Kreativ)

Experts criticize lack of transparency
But how can it get this far? TikTok regulates harmful content by blocking dangerous challenges and search terms. However, experts criticize the lack of transparency: it remains unclear why some content is deleted and others are not.

And if the algorithm fails, dangerous trends spread rapidly - especially among young people, who quickly become enthusiastic about challenges under peer pressure. But digital applause is often stronger than the voice of reason.