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People expose eyes to phone’s flash for TikTok challenge. It’s dangerous

A TikTok user shared a video claiming that there’s a new filter called S5 and it is temporarily changing brown-hued eyes into blue ones.

Updated on: Feb 3, 2020, 16:22:25 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
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A TikTok challenge with a potentially dangerous outcome has taken over the platform and it’s something no one should try. In this trend, people are using their phone’s back camera to make a video while keeping the flash on and directing pointing it towards their eyes. All these apparently to momentarily change their eye colour – and the trick, unsurprisingly, doesn’t work.

Many are being a part of this trend. (TikTok)
Many are being a part of this trend. (TikTok)

It appears that TikTok user Maliabroo started the trend. She shared a video claiming that there’s a new filter on TikTok called S5 and it is temporarily changing brown-hued eyes into blue ones. There’s actually a filter by that name but it only adds a blue hue to the videos and does nothing else.

Several people tried it out in form of duet and such TikTok clips are now flooding the platform. The videos show that Maliabroo’s eye colour is changing but as for others it’s remaining the same.

Here’s one such video:

@pia.rose

#Duett mit maliabroo pls just don’t waste your time

♬ filter eyes trend - vvaalentinnaa

The flash directly aimed at eyes may cause ‘flash blindness’ – temporary dark spots in vision, reports the site of Optimax Eye Surgery, cited Mirror. For some, however, the risk is far greater as it can cause a permanent blind spot in their retina.

A few days back, another dangerous TikTok challenge involving a penny and a power socket went crazy viral. This risky trend involving electricity even ended up causing fire in some cases.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More