Social media has become an increasingly dangerous space, particularly for children who struggle to differentiate between real and AI-generated videos. This confusion has led to various risky challenges, including the latest one involving a NeeDoh cube.
A 7-year-old girl, Scarlett Selby, suffered severe burns and fell into a coma after attempting a NeeDoh trend she saw on YouTube and TikTok.
Scarlett had placed her NeeDoh—a popular stretchy, dough-filled toy—into the microwave and then into the freezer, following a video she had watched online.
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Tragically, the toy exploded, “coating Scarlett’s face and chest with the red-hot goo from inside the cube,” according to Uniland.
Her father, Josh Shelby, heard her agonizing screams and rushed to her aid, trying to remove the burning substance from her skin and clothing.
“She had frozen the NeeDoh cube the night before, and the next day, she showed me how solid it had become while playing with it,” Josh recalled.
“She then put it in the microwave. I was watching her as she took it out and touched it to check if it was too hot.
“It all happened so fast. I heard a blood-curdling scream as it exploded all over her chest, mouth, and chin.”
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Josh rushed Scarlett to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where doctors placed her in an induced coma to prevent her airways from swelling shut.
“She was still screaming when we arrived at the hospital, and it was a 30-minute drive from our home. It was devastating to see how much pain she was in,” her mother, Amanda, shared.
“I was panicked, devastated, terrified, and heartbroken.”
Scarlett remained in a coma for three days and suffered second- and third-degree burns. Now, four months later, her parents are still waiting to learn whether she will need skin graft surgery.
For now, they have been treating her scars with creams and silicone ointments, but Scarlett has become self-conscious about them.
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Scarlett’s parents are speaking out to raise awareness about the dangers of social media content and the potential risks of misusing the NeeDoh toy.
The manufacturer, Schylling Toys, has issued a warning on its website stating: “Do NOT heat, freeze, or microwave, may cause personal injury.”
In response, they have partnered with social media platforms to remove any content that promotes the unsafe use of their product.
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