Texas family warns of 'blackout challenge' after child dies

Parents say 9-year-old daughter died attempting viral social media dare

Mar. 22, 2026 at 6:42pm

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A Stephenville couple is raising the alarm about social media algorithms after their 9-year-old daughter JackLynn Blackwell died last month while apparently attempting the 'blackout challenge', a viral dare where people intentionally choke themselves to experience a brief high. The family believes JackLynn saw a video of the challenge on YouTube and tried to replicate it, leading to her tragic death.

Why it matters

The 'blackout challenge' and similar social media dares have resulted in dozens of deaths, highlighting the dangers of harmful content being recommended to children through algorithmic curation. This tragedy underscores the need for greater platform accountability and parental awareness around the risks of viral social media challenges.

The details

On February 3, JackLynn's father Curtis Blackwell found his 9-year-old daughter unconscious with a cord wrapped around her neck in their backyard. He attempted CPR but it was too late. The family believes JackLynn was trying to copy the 'blackout challenge' after seeing a video of it on YouTube. The CDC reports that 80 people have died as a result of this dangerous dare, also known as the 'choking game' or 'pass-out challenge'.

  • On February 3, 2026, JackLynn Blackwell was found unconscious in her family's backyard.
  • JackLynn's death occurred last month, in February 2026.

The players

JackLynn Blackwell

A 9-year-old girl from Stephenville, Texas who died after attempting the 'blackout challenge'.

Curtis and Wendi Blackwell

The parents of JackLynn Blackwell who are now warning other families about the dangers of viral social media challenges.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The U.S. public health agency that reports 80 people have died as a result of the 'blackout challenge'.

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What they’re saying

“It's not a joke, it's not a game, it's life and death.”

— Curtis Blackwell, Father of JackLynn Blackwell

“You could check on your kid, it could be kid-friendly videos, and then three minutes later it could be totally something dark because of the algorithms they start creating. There's too many of these kids lost for these companies not to be held accountable in my eyes.”

— Curtis Blackwell, Father of JackLynn Blackwell

What’s next

Earlier this year in Delaware, six families whose children allegedly took part in the 'blackout challenge' sued TikTok, claiming the social media platform's algorithm is addictive and can harm children. The Blackwell family hopes their story will raise awareness and lead to greater platform accountability around dangerous viral challenges.

The takeaway

This tragic case highlights the urgent need for social media companies to address the harmful content their algorithms can recommend to children, as well as the importance of parents being vigilant about the online activities and challenges their kids are exposed to. The 'blackout challenge' has proven deadly, and families must be educated on the risks of these viral social media dares.