Teenagers are impressionable. They want to fit in and impress their friends; however, they don’t always think through the consequences or their actions. Need proof? Remember the Tide pod challenge where teens literally ate Tide pods? Remember the deodorant challenge where teens sprayed each other with aerosol deodorant for way too long, causing severe burns? Remember the Bird Box challenge where teens did things blindfolded?

While many parents think their children are smart enough not to fall for these challenges, we’re pretty sure that the parents of the children who participated in them thought that too. It’s not that they’re not smart; they’re just not thinking through the dangers of what they’re doing in the same way we do as adults.

Child psychologist Polly Dunn, who is also a mother of four, thinks that parents shouldn’t assume that their kids won’t participate in these challenges. She said,  “You definitely don’t want to ignore it because sometimes what we think our children know is not actually what they know. I think talking openly and honestly about the challenges and the dangers especially with younger children and more impressionable children is the best policy.”

Teens find out about these challenges through social media, and not just Facebook. It’s important for parents to have accounts and follow their kids on any social media platform their kids use, such as Snap Chat and Instagram. It’s also important for parents to make sure the location finder is turned on if their children have smartphones…especially due to the latest challenge circulating on social media.

Beware, if your kids suddenly go missing, they might be participating in the “48-hours missing challenge.” Just like the name says, kids are daring each other to go missing for 48 hours. Not only does this challenge puts kids in danger, but it also would most likely cause parents to worry and contact the police to search for their children. This challenge worries police because it would take time and resources away from actual crimes all because of a prank.

Officer Johnathan Frisk with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Crime Prevention said, “When we talk about anybody going missing, it’s very dangerous, and we immediately send out a ton of resources because every second counts. To find out a person was hiding, is a big issue.”

Officer Simon Drobik, spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department thinks this “48-hours missing challenge” “could be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

For more information about this new challenge, watch the video below.