Seeking out viral internet fame? Don’t

This week, a Norwalk woman was arrested and her juvenile son hospitalized after attempting to stay awake all night. They were playing the home version of an internet stunt known as the 24-Hour Challenge.

The bane of retailers, police and parents the world over, the 24-Hour Challenge is essentially an illegal sleepover at a big-box store, bowling alley, supermarket or fast-food restaurant.

Here’s how it works: The players — typically teenagers — enter a store before closing and hide until it reopens the next day, capturing the action (or lack thereof) on videos uploaded to social media sites.

The 24-Hour Challenge is played for internet bragging rights and the prospect of a viral video. As with most internet fads, there are downsides. Some players get banned from stores, others arrested for breaking and entering, trespassing or criminal mischief.

While the exact origins are hard to pinpoint, two Belgian teenagers in August 2016 uploaded a video aptly named “Two Idiots At Night In Ikea,” generating 2.7 million views and likely launching the challenge worldwide. The results have wreaked havoc not just at Ikea, but at Costco, Walmart, Target, Chuck E. Cheese and McDonald’s.

In Sheffield, England, a distraught father reported his son missing, launching a police search that ended when the boy returned home from a night at Ikea. Abid Murza took to Facebook to warn other parents to monitor their children’s search histories.

As the 24-Hour Challenge is by no means the only dangerous and/or idiotic dare touted by internet users, here are a few others to watch for:

The Cinnamon Challenge. ⏩ The object is to film oneself swallowing a spoonful of ground cinnamon in less than a minute, despite coughing, gagging and vomiting. Pneumonia or a collapsed lung can occur.

Condom Challenge. This genius move involves ⏩ snorting a Latex condom into one’s nasal cavity, back through the throat and out of the mouth. (Hazards include choking, obviously.)

The Tide Pod Challenge calls for eating packets of ⏩ toxic detergent. YouTube removed those videos after

dozens of poisoning cases were reported.

The Ghost Pepper Challenge consists of filming ⏩ oneself eating extremely hot peppers, resulting in excessive sweating and vomiting along with possible allergic reactions that have sent countless people to the hospital.

Ice and Salt Challenge. Pouring ⏩ salt on one’s arm, then placing ice atop the salt, producing a burning sensation; participants compete to see who can endure the discomfort the longest.

Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge. ⏩ Covering one’s lips with a shot glass and drawing the air out of the glass to produce full lips like Jenner’s. Bruising, disfiguring or cutting the lips on shattered glass are among the hazards here.

Ice Bucket Challenge. If your teenagers insist on ⏩ participating in an internet challenge, make it this one: Donate $100 to the ALS Association or dump a bucket of ice water on their heads.

Otherwise, the message is clear: Fleeting internet fame isn’t worth the risk. And you likely won’t even get famous.

In Sheffield, England, a distraught father reported his son missing, launching a search that ended when the boy returned from a night at Ikea.