First, there was the Ice Bucket Challenge. Then there was the “cinnamon challenge.” Now, yet another viral craze is sweeping teenagers everywhere–and in the process, entering many of them into the running for a Darwin Award: the Tide Pod Challenge. The objective is to bite into those little multi-colored capsules of Tide detergent– just for fun.

It’s beyond stupid, since even a little bit can be lethal, but that hasn’t stopped many of the kids. Ignoring the continuous warnings from various health professionals, the sensation has only grown more popular.

The motivation is simple: views. In this social media age, every post and every caption is extremely well-thought out to maximize views or likes . The Tide Pod challenge, mostly because of its sheer insanity, is one of such things that draws in a significant amount of traffic. Some kids are so desperate for the smallest ounce of popularity that they are willing to risk their lives for it. There’s also the bandwagon effect, as in “If everyone else is doing it, it can’t be that bad, can it?”

Well, it is that bad. It’s so bad that Tide has released several warnings for people to stop. YouTube has removed any video with a vestige of the Tide Pod challenge. Even The New York Times ran a story about the hazards, of which burns to the throat, diarrhea, and vomiting are only a few of a myriad.

Even as the Tide Pod challenge fades, history has shown that another equally dangerous or idiotic “challenge” fad will soon be right on its tails. It’s hard to convince people to stop, but companies, doctors, and parents have to try nevertheless, or the results could be disastrous. As the Consumer Product Safety Commission said, “A meme should not become a family tragedy.”