Social media has been known to influence people into doing unimaginable things, but the limit on what is “too far” has been pushed with the return of the subway surfing trend. Subway surfing is an ongoing trend in New York, primarily among teenagers, where they hang out on top of trains and jump from train car to train car while the train is moving between stations. This trend, based on the mobile game Subway Surfers, has been consistent for years, however, recent spikes in fatalities have raised more attention to the situation. There have been six deaths and 181 arrests, as it is illegal alongside being dangerous, that were a result of people subway surfing in just this year.
The most recent deaths were a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl who decided to go subway surfing on Oct. 27. According to CNN, they were running together atop a train in Queens, New York, and proceeded to lose their balance. The 13-year-old fell in between the train cars and could not be saved, while the 12-year-old sustained a severe head injury with internal bleeding in her brain. Neither of the victims’ identities were released by the New York Police Department (NYPD). Only days before, a 13-year-old boy identified as Adolfo Sanabria, who had posted previous videos of himself subway surfing, died while making a video. This is an emotionally devastating experience for a family including the costs that are needed to give their child a proper ceremony, not to mention there have been three other deaths of young adults and teens this year.
The NYPD has been forced to take precautions, such as drone cameras and showing the collected film to parents to discourage their children from following the crowd. Last year, the NYPD also launched a campaign that coined the slogan “Subway Surfing Kills! Ride Inside, Stay Alive.” New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow also released a statement, according to PIX11, saying “this is no game. There is no reset at the end… this is a life-or-death matter.” The authorities are doing all they can to prevent more deaths, sending field teams out into the station where the moving train will arrive next, and rescuing the victim there. They have saved a total of 114 people in their efforts, all below the age of 40, with an average age of 14.
The dangers of social media and pressure to be recognized have spread across various trends over the years, such as the Benadryl Challenge and the Tide Pod Challenge. All these trends end in injury, death, or emotional trauma for the victim or their family. It is important to always stay aware and stay safe on the internet, and for people to know when to set boundaries for themselves and parents set boundaries for their children.
