The Bird Box Challenge was a viral 2018 to 2019 social dare where people filmed themselves doing everyday tasks while blindfolded, mimicking Sandra Bullock in the Netflix thriller Bird Box. It spread under the hashtag #BirdBoxChallenge and prompted a Netflix safety warning after a Utah teen crashed her car mid-attempt.
Origin
The film Bird Box premiered on Netflix on December 21st, 2018 after a short theatrical run and quickly hit 45 million account views inside its first week[1]. The plot follows Malorie, played by Sandra Bullock, who guides two children through a forest and down a river while all three wear blindfolds to avoid entities that drive people to suicide on sight[1].
The Bird Box Challenge tag actually predates the film's release. On December 6th, 2018, Netflix ANZ's official Twitter dared Twitch streamer geekgg[3] to complete a Crash Bandicoot level blindfolded under the #BirdBoxChallenge hashtag, and several other streamers reported getting similar prompts from the account in the days that followed[3].
- Platform: Twitter / Twitch (initial dare), Facebook and YouTube (viral spread)
- Creator: Unknown
- Date: 2018
Overview
The Bird Box Challenge was a viral internet dare where people filmed themselves trying everyday tasks while wearing a blindfold, copying Sandra Bullock's character in the Netflix thriller Bird Box[1]. Participants attempted walking down stairs, riding escalators, scootering indoors, dancing and even driving, with most clips ending in the blindfolded person crashing into something or falling over[1].
The trend was catalogued under the hashtag #BirdBoxChallenge across Twitter, Instagram and YouTube in late December 2018 and early January 2019[3]. Its appeal was simple slapstick, a friend fumbling through a normal task, tied to a movie plot Netflix's own social team helped seed among streamers before the film even reached a wide audience[3].
How It Spread
The tag jumped from streamers to the general public on December 23rd, 2018, when a Facebook user posting as Lamborghini Law shared a photo of himself blindfolded while holding hands with two blindfolded children[3]. The image was reshared heavily the next day, and by December 24th, blindfolded stunt clips were flooding Twitter, Instagram and YouTube[3]. A 24-hour blindfolded video from YouTuber Morgan Adams posted on December 30th, 2018 pulled 2.1 million views inside five days[3].
By early January the pile-up of injury clips was big enough for Netflix[1] to tweet a public warning on January 2nd, 2019, begging fans not to end up in the hospital, a post that racked up more than 50,000 retweets in a day[1]. Fox News reported the same day that no serious injuries tied to the trend had yet been logged[1].
That changed on January 7th, 2019, when a 17-year-old driver in Layton City, Utah pulled a beanie down over her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway with a 16-year-old passenger, drifted into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle, a light post and a sound wall[2]. Nobody was hurt, but Lieutenant Travis Lyman told Gizmodo the department was weighing reckless-driving charges[2]. The Layton City Police tweet showing the wreck pulled over 890 retweets and 1,800 likes within four days[3], and a Reddit thread about the crash in r/news gathered more than 2,300 points and 500 comments in the same window[3].
How to Use
A typical Bird Box Challenge clip is short and self-filmed. The participant ties a blindfold on-camera, calls out the task (cooking eggs, walking to the mailbox, beating a video game level) and rolls tape until they either finish or knock something over[1]. Common conventions include tagging the post with #BirdBoxChallenge, using a scarf or beanie as the blindfold and cutting to a laughing reveal when the blindfold comes off[3]. After Netflix's January 2nd, 2019 safety tweet, most creators kept the stunts to low-stakes household settings rather than anything involving traffic or stairs[1].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bird Box Challenge?
A viral 2018 to 2019 social dare where people filmed themselves attempting everyday tasks while blindfolded, inspired by the Netflix film Bird Box[1].
Where did Bird Box Challenge come from?
It started on December 6th, 2018 when Netflix ANZ's Twitter dared Twitch streamer geekgg to beat a Crash Bandicoot level blindfolded, then went mainstream around Christmas 2018 through the #BirdBoxChallenge hashtag[3].
What does Bird Box Challenge mean?
The name references Sandra Bullock's blindfolded journey in Bird Box, with participants recreating the can't-look gimmick in mundane real-life settings[1].
How do you use Bird Box Challenge?
Tie on a blindfold, film yourself trying a normal task like walking or cooking, and post the clip under #BirdBoxChallenge, usually ending on a fall or a laughing reveal[3].
Is Bird Box Challenge still popular?
No, the trend faded after early 2019 once Netflix issued a safety warning and news coverage of a Utah teen's blindfolded car crash cooled participation off[2].
