Why is setting yourself on fire "cool" ?

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xpd

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#242884 19-Nov-2018 08:58

This post is not to target or offend anyone, I'm just flabbergasted it even happens.........

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12162435

Are our kids really that stupid to think that setting themselves on fire and other random obviously damaging stunts are "cool" and will make them popular ?

You hear "peer pressure" etc being thrown around but seriously ?

(Sarcasm ahead in case anyone was wondering)

Yes, you will be cool when you die. Or turn up to school with permanent scarring that makes other kids run screaming from you. Lose a limb. Give yourself brain damage.

My two kids (8 + 11) often mention stupid things kids at their school are doing as a fad, and when we ask our kids if these things are cool to them, they say hell no and don't participate and usually walk away from anyone who is taking part.

Is it a lack of decent parenting skills - as in actually talk to your kids and not just put them in front of a screen assuming this will teach them life's lessons via YouTube ?

Growing up, the worst/stupid things we used to do as kids would generally end in tears and broken bones at worst case. Granted, communication was a bit more limiting (no internet), so fads did take quite some time to spread, but even then, we knew better than to douse ourselves in petrol and play with matches.........

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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#2129127 19-Nov-2018 09:03

There's a lack of general knowledge in kids today. Just look at the "trivial" issue with the NCEA exam last week. I'm guessing it's because now that kids have instant access to all information via the internet, there's less reading of general interest books like when I was a kid, and less parental input to growing their kids general knowledge. Sometimes it might be a case of "I don't need to tell them that because I assume their teacher will"....in his case maybe "Fire hot burn bad".

networkn

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#2129129 19-Nov-2018 09:05

I just read about this in disbelief. What a nightmare. As someone with small kids who will grow up into this society, it scares the living snot out of me, that my kids could (I don't believe they would as they are both sensible careful kids) feel so much pressure to stand out, that they might consider even thinking about doing this, let alone actually doing it.

I feel sick to my stomach that this could be a thing. The injuries sustained are horrific and defy belief.

We spent a lot of time talking to our kids about peer pressure, postive vs negative and trying to help them understand their own value so they don't feel compelled to cave to trends like this, or doing things that are unsafe.

Linux

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#2129137 19-Nov-2018 09:19

Watch the ACC claims sky rocket for this!

John

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#2129163 19-Nov-2018 09:45

Darwin Awards in the making there.

One day these morons will be MPs etc - THAT is most worrying.

Paul1977

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#2129167 19-Nov-2018 09:50

I'm really not sure what to make of this. I just feel like anyone with half a brain should know this is just idiotic.

What do they think will happen? Are they meant to douse the flames before the accelerant is fully exhausted in the belief they won't get burned?

And is this even peer pressure, or just morons who think it will make them famous?

MikeB4

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#2129168 19-Nov-2018 09:52

Geektastic:

Darwin Awards in the making there.

One day these morons will be MPs etc - THAT is most worrying.

Making flippant heartless comments about this is disgusting.

reven

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#2129170 19-Nov-2018 09:55

isn't this a good thing? it means the dumb kids will kill themselves off before they have a chance to breed :P

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networkn

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#2129173 19-Nov-2018 09:56

Paul1977:

And is this even peer pressure, or just morons who think it will make them famous?

Peer pressure can take many forms. Direct or indirect, positive or negative. Some people cope with it better than others. I wasn't really fussed by negative peer pressure that much, I was confident of myself to a degree, at least in what I believed to be right and wrong. Some others it seem, are more susectiple to it.

I agree it seems idiotic, insane. Often these things aren't well thought out. The "reward" isn't weighed properly against the risks. It's why I am dead set against the drinking age being so low.

I am sure we have all done things we look back later and think "holy christ how lucky was I that that didn't go really badly". This is just a much more extreme version of this, and I suspect it's a lot to do with the pressure people feel to fit in, or stand out, that affects their decision making.

I am *not* excusng this type of behaviour.

Aredwood

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#2129369 19-Nov-2018 12:06

Probably someone who is wearing multiple layers of thick cotton clothes, who set a small part of their clothes on fire. Make a YouTube video about it.

Then people watched that video, and though that they can do the same thing while only wearing thin synthetic material clothes, and covering more of their clothes in petrol to make the video more dramatic - Fail.

It is people assuming that just because something looks easy to do, that it is actually easy to do.

As for the drinking age, it should be changed to 20 for off licence, and left at 18 for on license.

networkn

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#2129380 19-Nov-2018 12:19

As for the drinking age, it should be changed to 20 for off licence, and left at 18 for on license.

That sounds a reasonable plan.

My issue with the drinking age being as low as it is, esp for off licence, is that when the drinking age was 20, a 20 year old would supply a 17-18 year old with alcohol, which was bad enough. The police have seen a shift since the drinking age was lowered, so that 18 year olds will supply people MUCH younger, say 13-14. This is exponentially so much worse than giving a 16 year old alcohol.

Varkk

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#2129405 19-Nov-2018 13:12

This isn't really that new. I remember kids spraying Lynx on their hands and lighting it back in the 90s. Very few got hurt, as it is the vapour burning above the skin, not directly on. The only issue was if it got near clothing.

BTR

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#2129429 19-Nov-2018 14:01

It seems that parents these days only have to provide food and shelter. Education is left up to the teachers and that includes teachign simple things like manners and not leaving your school bag in the middle of a doorway....

Children I find these days are lazy and know there are no concequences so do what they like. Parents aren't actually parents these days.

I think the internet and the lack of accountabilty are two of the big reasons why a good chunk of kids are going to be lost causes.

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#2129441 19-Nov-2018 14:13

xpd: Are our kids really that stupid to think that setting themselves on fire and other random obviously damaging stunts are "cool" and will make them popular ?

No, this sounds like a bad idea to anyone. But on the other hand if it looks easy on youtube..

gzt

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#2129442 19-Nov-2018 14:18

YouTube has an age rating system. Are things like this flagged as inappropriate content under that system?

Trivial for any kid with the time to get around but at least it would slow the spread on school devices and accounts created by parents.

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#2129445 19-Nov-2018 14:24

Is this actually a real problem or is it one or two cases being over-reported?

I don't know of anyone setting them selves on fire, but I knew plenty of people who tipped buckets of ice-cubes and water on themselves or did planking photos etc.

It has the smell of one of those stories to test the gullibility of people.

Do you guys remember the pet-kittens kept in a jar stories from the early 2000's?

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