Now Circa Then by Carly Mensch at Morningside Theater Co. at Now Circa Then by Carly Mensch

NOW CIRCA THEN – hit comedy – opens April 24th!

Morningside Theater Co. would love to invite you to our next AEA Showcase production of  Now Circa Then by Carly Mensch. The run is from April 24th to May 11, 2025.  Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 3pm. (please note an add’l matinee on Sat. May 10th at 1pm and no performance on May 8th)

TikTok Made Me Do It: The Rise of Dangerous Stunts and Personal Injury Claims in Gen Z

You ever scroll through TikTok and suddenly see someone chugging boiling water or jumping off a roof into a kiddie pool… and think, “Who raised you?” Yeah. Same.

Let’s be real—TikTok is fun, addictive, and at times certifiably unhinged. But lately, the line between content and common sense? Totally blurred. And it’s Gen Z’s bones, backs, and emergency room visits paying the price.

Welcome to the ER, Influencer Edition

Ask any ER doc in Ontario and they'll tell you—TikTok injuries are no longer rare.

One Toronto nurse I spoke to called it “a highlight reel of ‘what not to do with your spine.’” From slipping on milk crates to swallowing laundry pods (yes, it’s still a thing), the injuries are just as wild as the stunts.

Types of TikTok injuries they’ve seen?

 Concussions from failed flips ‍

 Broken wrists from “parkour fails”

 Burns from viral cooking disasters

 And my personal fave… sprained dignity from dancing on desks and falling off

Is it all funny? Maybe for five seconds.
 Until someone needs a lawyer.

‍ Wait… Can You Sue for That?

Now here’s where it gets legally spicy.

Let’s say a teen breaks her leg filming a “ghost riding” challenge (Google it). Who’s liable?

 The teen?

 The school?

 The app?

 The ghost?

Short answer: It depends.
 Longer answer: That’s why people call folks like Ristich Law’s personal injury team in Whitby. Because this stuff gets messy.

A personal injury lawyer I know told me this:

“We’ve had cases where kids hurt themselves on school property doing social media stunts. Schools didn’t intervene. And guess what? Liability becomes a very real conversation.”

IMO, it’s not about blaming the internet. It’s about understanding responsibility.

Schools, Parents & TikTok — Who’s Steering the Ship?

Let’s not pretend this is just a Gen Z problem.

Parents hand kids phones at 10.
 Schools ban phones, then ignore them when half the class is livestreaming in the hallway.
 TikTok? Well, it just says “Don’t try this at home” and calls it a day.

The result?

 Teens don’t know the risks

 Adults don’t know the law

 Everyone ends up shocked when someone gets hurt

Want to reduce injury claims?
 How about a little education before someone backflips off a locker?

So... Should We Just Delete TikTok?

Relax. I’m not saying cancel TikTok.
 It’s not the villain here (though the algorithm does have chaotic energy).

But maybe—and hear me out—we should:

 Stop pretending viral = safe

 Talk to teens about legal consequences, not just broken bones

 Encourage schools to take safety seriously

 And maybe, just maybe, don’t skateboard down the stairs blindfolded for likes?

Wild idea, I know.

Final Thoughts (aka: Please Don’t End Up a Hashtag)

TikTok’s not going anywhere. And neither is Gen Z’s love for clout.
 But when stunts lead to injuries, it’s not just a fail—it’s a legal situation.

So before chasing views, maybe ask: Is this worth an ER trip?

Or a lawsuit?

If you or someone you know got injured doing something that made TikTok go “viral,” and you're wondering if there's a case, hit up a legit personal injury lawyer who speaks human—like the folks at Ristich Law in Whitby. They’ve seen it all. No judgment. Just answers.

Now go forth and scroll responsibly. But maybe skip the fire challenges, OK?