Viral TikTok Trends in 2025: Data & Insights

1. Social Media Engagement Metrics

Growth of Viral Challenges Over Time:

TikTok’s explosive user growth has driven ever-larger audiences for viral challenges. The platform’s monthly active users jumped from 689 million in mid-2020 to 1 billion+ by late 2021, and engagement rates surged as well. TikTok’s average engagement rate rose from 4.9% in 2020 to 5.96% in 2021 – far higher than other social apps – before settling around 4.25% in 2022. This means likes, shares, and comments on TikTok content grew substantially year-over-year. In fact, 41% of TikTok users participate in viral challenges each month, highlighting how these trending challenges have become a core driver of activity. As TikTok’s user base expanded (from ~55 million in 2018 to over 1 billion by 2021) the view counts on popular challenge hashtags have likewise exploded from mere millions a few years ago to billions of views today. For example, by early 2023 the hashtag #perfume (a popular TikTok trend category) had 39.3 billion views, illustrating how massively viral content can reach global audiences now (Backlinko.com, 2023; Scoop.market.us, 2025).

Most-Watched “Shocking” Trends of 2025:

Extreme or shocking TikTok challenges in 2025 garnered enormous viewership – often tens of millions of views per video and trending hashtags reaching the high billions. One example is the so-called “Flamethrower Challenge,” which circulated in late 2024: videos of teens using aerosol cans and lighters as makeshift flamethrowers went viral, racking up millions of views – until a tragic incident (a 16-year-old suffering severe burns) drew headlines. Another 2025 trend involved VR horror reaction videos, where users film themselves getting terrified by immersive horror games. These clips gained widespread popularity (some individual reaction videos amassed over 10 million likes), tapping into viewers’ curiosity about extreme fear responses. Similarly, AI-based “identity swap” videos – using deepfake filters to swap faces or mimic celebrities – trended in 2025. Creators playing with these hyper-realistic AI effects attracted huge engagement, though the exact view counts are hard to verify (TikTok doesn’t publicly list totals for every hashtag).

What’s clear is that TikTok’s top trending challenges now routinely achieve mass participation and viral reach, a big jump from early 2020s trends. Even dangerous pranks draw huge audiences: for instance, the prank of kicking in strangers’ doors to the beat of a song (the “Door Kick Challenge”) went viral enough that numerous clips flooded TikTok in 2025, forcing police warnings. In short, today’s shocking trends on TikTok command massive attention – easily in the hundreds of millions to billions of cumulative views – whereas a few years ago such figures were rare (beckershospitalreview.com, 2023).

User Demographics for Extreme Trends:

TikTok’s audience skews very young, which is reflected in who engages with these wild challenges. About 44% of TikTok’s users are under 25 years old, and 67% of U.S. teens (13–17) use TikTok. This youth dominance means many participants (and victims) of extreme trends are minors. Notably, pre-teens and teenagers are often the ones attempting dangerous dares. Tragically, one analysis found the “Blackout Challenge” deaths skewed very young – at least 15 of the 20 children who died from this challenge in 2021–2022 were only 12 or younger. Challenges like the “Skull Breaker” (tripping a friend by surprise) predominantly involved school-age participants and led to multiple hospitalizations of teens.

In general, Gen Z drives TikTok’s viral content: over 40% of TikTokers are 16–24 and they enthusiastically jump into trends. Males and females both participate, though certain extreme stunts (like dangerous pranks) often see more teen boys involved anecdotally. The common thread is youth – TikTok’s trendsetters and challenge participants tend to be adolescents and young adults, a demographic more prone to risk-taking and social media dares. This helps explain why so many risky challenges involve high schoolers, and why the platform’s safety issues have prompted concern for children and teens. (For context, 57% of 13–17-year-old TikTok users are on the app daily), indicating how deeply engaged young people are with TikTok content, including extreme trends.) (tidio.com, 2022; the-independent.com, 2022).

2. Health & Safety Statistics

Physical Injuries and Emergency Visits:

The rise of viral stunts has come with a spike in injuries, hospitalizations, and even deaths. Doctors have reported an uptick in emergency room visits linked to social media challenges, reaching an estimated 5,000 ER visits in 2021, up from 1,500 in 2018. Many challenges carry serious physical risks. For instance, the Milk Crate Challenge (climbing a pyramid of crates) led to numerous falls – “some accidents resulted in broken bones and concussions” – prompting hospitals to warn it was causing orthopedic injuries.

The “Skull Breaker” Challenge (tripping someone so they fall backward) sent multiple teens to the hospital with head and spine injuries. Even seemingly benign trends have had dangerous outcomes: the “Corn Cob Challenge” (biting corn off a spinning drill) left people with chipped or broken teeth. In 2023, the “Flamethrower Challenge” mentioned earlier left a 16-year-old North Carolina boy hospitalized with burns covering most of his body.

And viral drug misuse stunts have proven deadly – the “Benadryl Challenge”, which encourages taking excessive allergy medicine to hallucinate, caused multiple poisonings and at least one teen death (a 15-year-old in 2020). Overall, dozens of young people have been hospitalized in recent years due to risky TikTok trends.

Perhaps most alarming, the choking-game style “Blackout Challenge” (holding one’s breath to pass out) was linked to at least 20 deaths of children globally within an 18-month span. Fifteen of those victims were under age 13, highlighting the extreme health risks. These statistics underscore that viral fame comes at a price – emergency physicians are seeing real injuries, from fractured skulls and broken limbs to poisoning and asphyxiation.

The U.S. FDA even issued a warning about the Benadryl Challenge after reports of teens ending up in ERs. In short, the data show a clear trend: as TikTok challenges have grown more daring, injury tolls have climbed, with thousands of ER visits and several fatalities attributed to the stunts (tidio.com, 2022; beckershospitalreview.com, 2023; the-independent.com, 2023; fox10phoenix.com, 2023).

Psychological and Emotional Impact:

Beyond physical harms, extreme TikTok trends can affect mental health. Psychologists worry that constant exposure to shocking or immersive content may heighten anxiety or trauma in young viewers. Early evidence suggests immersive horror trends, for example, can significantly spike fear and stress responses. In one experiment, researchers found that playing a horror game in virtual reality led to a “stronger subjective sense of fear” and measurable physiological stress (e.g. lower heart rate variability) compared to playing the same game on a regular screen. In other words, VR horror experiences – popularized on TikTok through jump-scare reaction videos – literally provoke more intense fear in participants, which could translate to nightmares or anxiety afterward.

There are also emerging mental health phenomena tied to social media trends. During the pandemic, doctors observed “TikTok tics,” where teens developed Tourette’s-like tic behaviors after watching viral TikTok videos of others with tics. One hospital study noted a surge of sudden-onset tic-like behaviors in adolescents linked to heavy TikTok viewing of influencers with Tourette’s. About 80% of those teens improved once their TikTok use (and pandemic stress) decreased, but a subset continued struggling with broader mental health issues. This episode showed how social media content can essentially spread psychosomatic symptoms among vulnerable youth.

Similarly, experts have raised concerns that face-altering filters and deepfake “identity swap” challenges on TikTok might impact young users’ sense of self. Seeing one’s face morphed into someone else’s or constantly using beautifying filters could lead to body image issues or a feeling of “identity fragmentation,” as psychologists term it. A recent study on AI “clones” and deepfakes highlighted “doppelgänger-phobia” and authenticity anxieties – people feel uneasy or disturbed when they encounter eerily realistic digital versions of themselves or others. While hard numbers on these psychological effects are still emerging, 63% of Gen Z already report subpar mental health in the past month, and some of that stress is attributed to social media pressures.

All in all, extreme TikTok trends can induce heightened fear, anxiety, peer pressure, and even copycat disorders in impressionable users. The thrill of viral fame comes with mental health risks that, though less visible than broken bones, are a growing area of concern according to health professionals (link.springer.com, 2021; psyspot.org, 2025; psychologytoday.com, 2024; verywellmind.com, 2025).

3. Legal Consequences

Arrests and Legal Actions (2020–2025):

As dangerous TikTok challenges spilled into the real world, law enforcement has increasingly been involved. In the early days (around 2019–2020), viral pranks mostly resulted in warnings or school discipline. But by the mid-2020s, we see a sharp rise in arrests, criminal charges, and even lawsuits tied to social media stunts. For example, the Orbeez Challenge – which urges shooting strangers with gel pellets – led to multiple arrests across the U.S. In Volusia County, Florida, police reported at least four arrests of teens in early 2022 after a string of Orbeez shootings at bystanders. One 19-year-old in Florida was charged after shooting an Amazon delivery driver with Orbeez beads (an attack that hit a child and an adult as well).

Another notorious trend, the Kia Challenge, taught people how to steal certain car models using a USB cable. This contributed to a surge in auto thefts – in Milwaukee (where the trend began), 66% of all stolen vehicles were Kia or Hyundai models – and numerous teens have been arrested and prosecuted for car thefts linked to this challenge. In one 2022 case, a fatal crash involving teens who stole a Kia was attributed to the TikTok challenge, prompting grand theft auto charges.

Even seemingly silly pranks have led to legal trouble: the “Door Kick Challenge,” where kids kick a stranger’s door to the beat of a song, resulted in property damage reports and some pranksters being charged with trespassing or harassment. And in February 2023, police in Coolidge, Arizona arrested six minors for busting through a fence as part of a viral “Kool-Aid Man” challenge (imitating the juice mascot by running through walls).

Across the country, school officials and police have also cracked down on the “Devious Licks” challenge (students stealing or vandalizing school property); by late 2021, students in multiple states faced criminal charges and suspension for stealing soap dispensers and even a school bus as part of this trend.

Comparing 2020 to 2025, the escalation is clear: a few years ago, dangerous challenges were relatively novel, whereas now authorities routinely investigate and charge participants. By 2025, participating in a viral stunt that harms others can lead to serious legal consequences – including felony assault, vandalism, or endangerment charges – which can carry hefty fines or even jail time.

Police and prosecutors have sent a message that TikTok fame is no excuse for breaking the law. As one police captain warned teens about the Orbeez attacks: “They’re violating the law… these things don’t go away. [It] could affect your future.” (foxnews.com, 2022; fox10phoenix.com, 2023; tidio.com, 2022).

Lawsuits and Regulation: The legal system is also grappling with who is accountable when these trends turn deadly. In 2022 and 2023, families began filing wrongful death lawsuits against TikTok for hosting dangerous challenge content. Notably, in early 2025 a lawsuit was filed on behalf of the parents of four British children (aged 12 to 14) who died attempting the Blackout Challenge. The suit alleges TikTok’s algorithm deliberately pushed the challenge to vulnerable kids, and it seeks to hold the company liable for the tragic outcomes. This case followed similar U.S. lawsuits in 2022 by families of young girls who died from the challenge. TikTok has defended itself by saying it blocked searches for the “blackout challenge” content back in 2020 and removes known dangerous videos, but the litigation trend is growing.

Aside from lawsuits, governments have started imposing regulations to curb harmful social media content. Regulators in some countries have outright banned certain TikTok content or the app itself for safety reasons. For example, after a 10-year-old Italian girl died allegedly due to a TikTok choking challenge, Italy’s authorities ordered TikTok to identify and remove all users under 13 (over half a million accounts were deleted) and temporarily banned the app for those ages.

In the United States, alarm over dangerous challenges and other concerns fueled calls in Congress to ban TikTok entirely in 2023. While a nationwide ban hadn’t materialized as of 2025, TikTok was banned on federal government devices, and several states sued the platform over harms to minors. In response to mounting pressure, TikTok introduced new safety features – for instance, a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18 was rolled out in 2023 to encourage healthier use (though teens can opt out).

TikTok’s community guidelines also now explicitly prohibit “dangerous acts,” and the company relies on users to report dangerous challenges so they can be removed.

Globally, other legal measures have targeted the tools enabling extreme trends: “deepfake” or synthetic media regulations were pioneered by China in 2023, where a law now requires conspicuous labels on AI-generated images, video or text to curb misinformation and misuse. This was the first comprehensive law on deepfakes, and it aims to prevent chaos from AI-driven trends (like identity swap videos).

In sum, from school discipline and local arrests to international legislation, the period 2020–2025 saw a significant expansion of legal consequences for viral stunts. Dangerous TikTok challenges are no longer viewed as mere teen shenanigans – they are prompting serious legal accountability, pushing TikTok to tighten policies and governments to consider stricter oversight of social media content (theguardian.com, 2025; theguardian.com, 2022; the-independent.com 2022; fox10phoenix.com 2023; iapp.org 2023).

4. Market Trends & Economic Impact

Boom in Related Industries:

The cultural phenomena on TikTok have spurred rapid growth in several tech and consumer markets. Industries tied to viral TikTok trends – from biohacking gadgets to AI content tools – are seeing a surge in investment, usage, and revenue:

Biohacking:

The DIY biohacking movement (people using technology or supplements to “hack” their biology) has grown in parallel with TikTok trends showcasing implants, nootropics, and extreme body mods. The global biohacking market is valued around $36–45 billion in 2024–2025 and climbing fast. One market analysis shows it will grow from $36.6 billion in 2024 to $45.2 billion in 2025 (23.4% annual growth). This encompasses wearables, implantable chips, genetic edit kits, smart drugs, etc.

The popularity of TikTok “body upgrade” trends – like magnet implants or RFID chip videos – has helped drive interest. Investments are pouring in: venture funding for biohacking startups and labs has increased as more consumers adopt health-tracking tech and supplements. User adoption rates are rising especially among young, tech-savvy individuals (the same demographic active on TikTok).

For example, sales of at-home “nootropic” brain supplements spiked after viral TikToks touted their focus-boosting effects. Overall, the biohacking industry has seen double-digit growth each year, reflecting how online communities spur real demand for self-optimization products (thebusinessresearchcompany.com, 2024).

AI-Generated Content:

The DIY biohacking movement (people using technology or supplements to “hack” their biology) has grown in parallel with TikTok trends showcasing implants, nootropics, and extreme body mods. The global biohacking market is valued around $36–45 billion in 2024–2025 and climbing fast. One market analysis shows it will grow from $36.6 billion in 2024 to $45.2 billion in 2025 (23.4% annual growth). This encompasses wearables, implantable chips, genetic edit kits, smart drugs, etc.

The popularity of TikTok “body upgrade” trends – like magnet implants or RFID chip videos – has helped drive interest. Investments are pouring in: venture funding for biohacking startups and labs has increased as more consumers adopt health-tracking tech and supplements. User adoption rates are rising especially among young, tech-savvy individuals (the same demographic active on TikTok).

For example, sales of at-home “nootropic” brain supplements spiked after viral TikToks touted their focus-boosting effects. Overall, the biohacking industry has seen double-digit growth each year, reflecting how online communities spur real demand for self-optimization products (thebusinessresearchcompany.com, 2024).

AI-Generated Content:

AI-driven media (like deepfakes, avatars, and generative filters) is another sector lifted by TikTok’s trend cycle. Marketers estimate the “deepfake AI” market was only around $0.6 billion in 2023 but is projected to soar to $1+ billion by 2025, implying ~40%+ annual growth rates. One report forecasts a jump from $820 million in 2024 to $1.03 billion in 2025 for the deepfake segment, on track to reach ~$2.6 billion by 2029.

This growth is fueled by the explosion of digital content creation and entertainment uses of AI – exactly the kind of face-swapping, voice-cloning fun that went viral on TikTok. In fact, 67% of top-performing TikTok videos use trending audio/sound – often AI-modified clips, showing how ubiquitous AI-enhanced content has become. We’ve seen TikTok filters like the realistic “Bold Glamour” AI filter go viral (used tens of millions of times within weeks), and user demand for AI tools (e.g. to generate avatars or clone voices for skits) has skyrocketed. This translates to a booming market for AI content software and services.

However, the proliferation of deepfakes also spurred regulatory responses (as mentioned, China’s labeling mandate for AI-generated media took effect in 2023). Other regions are considering rules on deepfake usage (e.g. some U.S. states banned malicious deepfakes in elections or explicit content).

Still, in commerce, brands are leveraging AI on TikTok – e.g. virtual influencers and CGI product try-ons – which further expands the market. Industry analysts project the broader generative AI market value (which includes text/image generators used in marketing) will reach tens of billions by the late 2020s, partly riding the social media trend wave.

In short, TikTok’s viral AI filters and deepfake trends have both created a fast-growing new media industry and prompted new regulations to keep it in check (whatech.com, 2025; socialplug.io, 2025; iapp.org 2023).

Virtual Reality & Immersive Horror Gaming:

TikTok has helped popularize VR experiences (like 360° horror games or AR filters), contributing to the rapid growth of the VR/AR sector. Global VR market revenue was about $35 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach ~$45 billion by 2024, on pace for steady growth through 2025. Consumer adoption of VR is rising: annual VR headset sales hit ~11.2 million units in 2023 and are expected to exceed 14 million in 2024. This uptake is partly driven by viral content – seeing others react to VR on TikTok makes new users curious to buy headsets.

The VR gaming segment specifically is booming; it’s forecast to grow to $45 billion by 2027. Within that, horror and thriller VR titles have found a niche thanks to social media. Games like Resident Evil 7 VR or indie horror VR experiences became TikTok sensations when users posted their terrified reactions. Such immersive horror trends translate to real sales: VR game developers have reported spikes in downloads after TikTok exposure.

Meanwhile, augmented reality (AR) filters on TikTok (like jump-scare lenses) keep people engaged without a headset, indirectly boosting interest in full VR. According to surveys, 53% of gamers are interested in using VR for gaming, and nearly 67% of U.S. VR users are under 34 – overlapping strongly with TikTok’s demographic. This suggests a feedback loop where TikTok trends fuel VR adoption among young consumers, which in turn grows the VR market.

Revenues from VR hardware, software, and content all show double-digit annual growth, and companies like Meta and Sony have cited social media virality as a factor in VR’s mainstreaming. Additionally, mixed reality horror experiences (e.g. haunted house simulations blending VR/AR) are emerging, potentially a new market segment, as hinted by TikTok buzz.

In summary, the VR/immersive tech industry is experiencing rapid revenue and sales expansion, thanks in no small part to TikTok making VR content viral and desirable (coolest-gadgets.com, 2025).

“Pheromone” Perfumes and Other Viral Products:

TikTok’s ability to make products go viral has had immediate economic impacts on consumer goods. A striking 2021 example was the trend of pheromone perfumes – fragrances claimed to attract others. A specific product, Pure Instinct pheromone oil, went viral on TikTok (#pheromoneperfume) and promptly became the #1 best-selling perfume on Amazon, selling out multiple times. By some reports, the product saw a TikTok-driven sales increase of over 100,000% (as it virtually had no sales before and then sold thousands of units overnight).

Overall fragrance sales were uplifted by social media: perfume sales in the U.S. jumped as much as 45% in 2021, a spike attributed largely to TikTok hype and pandemic self-care. In fact, TikTok has become the top driver of fragrance purchases among social platforms – by late 2022, 45% of U.S. social-media-driven fragrance sales were coming from TikTok influence.

Gen Z shoppers on TikTok swap reviews of scents, leading to certain colognes and lotions selling out nationwide after going viral. Another odd perfume trend was “vabbing” (using one’s bodily pheromones as perfume), which, though not a product, spurred increased curiosity and sales of scented products marketed with pheromone appeal.

Beyond perfumes, countless other products have seen “TikTok bumps” in demand: e.g. skincare and makeup (the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt phenomenon), kitchen gadgets (the viral feta cheese pasta caused feta cheese shortages in 2021), and even foods like cranberry juice – Ocean Spray’s cranberry juice sales soared after a TikTok of a man skateboarding with a bottle went viral in 2020. Another 2022 craze, the Pink Sauce (a homemade condiment), led to the creator securing a retail deal due to the viral demand.

These anecdotes reflect a broader trend: viral TikTok trends directly translate into consumer spending surges. Companies now monitor TikTok closely for the next trend, as a single viral challenge or product review can lead to a “demand shock” – sudden exponential sales growth. TikTok even launched in-app shopping and affiliate links to

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Written by Mairead Fraser

As a senior editor, Mairead Fraser creates SEO optimized website contents, manages social media, and has a special interest in YouTube.