What Is the ‘Bird Box’ Challenge & Why Does Netflix Advise Against It?

Meaghan Darwish January 3, 2019

Over the holidays, Netflix had yet another viral hit with the Sandra Bullock-starring original film Bird Box. Likened to 2018’s hit thriller A Quiet Place, the movie follows Bullock’s character Malorie as she tries to evade an evil entity.

The catch? Anyone who looks at the entity (which viewers never see) becomes infected and either commits suicide or forces others to look at the entity by removing their blindfolds. Throughout the film, viewers follow Malorie on her harrowing, blindfolded journey down the river with two young children named Boy (Julian Edwards) and Girl (Vivien Lyra Blair).

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Since the film’s December 21 debut, Bird Box has garnered over 45 million viewers, making it one of Netflix’s highest-viewed original films. But viewers aren’t simply watching the movie — some have come up with something called the #BirdBoxChallenge. So what does it entail? Well, basically just doing activities while blindfolded.

Unfortunately, this challenge has proven dangerous for some participants willingly impairing their sense of sight. One particular video circling the internet includes a man taking his child and toddler (who are also blindfolded) by the hand, only to accidentally lead the toddler into a wall. Needless to say, Netflix’s response to these viral craze showed their disapproval for such behavior.

“Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE,” tweeted the U.S. Netflix page. “We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.”

Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.

— Netflix US (@netflix) January 2, 2019

But that hasn’t slowed people down. Below are a few examples of the meme and the rebuttals the challenge has provoked on social media:

We know Spongebob would have kill the Birdbox Challenge. that’s the only way he know how to drive #BirdBoxChallenge pic.twitter.com/rFXSKIf4eZ

— Keion “Steel” Cage (@keioncage) December 25, 2018