Eraser Games FYI

cracklingkraken, ASN, RN · Oct 17, 2015

How do people come up with this stuff? Where are the normal games, like tag, cops and robbers, or regular ole board games?

Jolie, BSN · Oct 17, 2015

This isn't anything new. It was in vogue when I was in junior high in the mid 1970's. We called it the sissy test back then, because if you couldn't tolerate rubbing an eraser on your arm for several minutes then you were a sissy.

Our middle school principal called me a few years ago and asked me to come to his office to talk to a group of kids with varying degrees of injury from playing this game. After the expected lecture on infection and bodily harm, I launched into a rant about how lazy kids are these days that they can't even come up with something more imaginative than the stupid things their parents did 40 years ago. I don't think either the principal or kids expected that part of the lecture :)

allnurses Guide · Oct 17, 2015

I'd never heard of it. Wow. I was in Junior High/High School in the early 70's.

We did that passing out game where you would hyperventilate and then someone would come up behind you and grab you under your arms and lift you up in the air and you'd pass out.

Yeah . . . each generation has their own version of stupid.

cracklingkraken, ASN, RN · Oct 17, 2015

I'd never heard of it. Wow. I was in Junior High/High School in the early 70's.
We did that passing out game where you would hyperventilate and then someone would come up behind you and grab you under your arms and lift you up in the air and you'd pass out.
Yeah . . . each generation has their own version of stupid.

I must have missed out on the stupid games of my generation. No, wait. I do remember playing bloody knuckles. But no one could play long enough to actually break any bones or draw blood, so it was a relatively safe stupid game.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2015

Yep, we used to do this in elementary school in the 70s/early 80s. We also had to have a talking to after kids started burning themselves with cinnamon toothpicks (would get them good and wet and place them on the skin, they'd leave toothpick sized burns on the skin).

I guess kids are dumb, no matter what generation.

cynmrn · Oct 19, 2015

This has been a somewhat popular thing at our middle school in the 5th/6th grade age group. I also did the lecturing thing alongside the counselor--my side was mostly about risk of infection, etc. I showed a gnarly picture of cellulitis of the arm. Her side was about the dangers of peer pressure.

I really don't understand what the fascination is with bodily harm. I don't remember ever participating in something like this when I was a kid. I do recall some people doing the whole "bloody knuckles" thing, which never really resulted in blood from what I remember either. And I do remember hearing about and being warned against doing the "choking game."

SchoolNurseTXstyle · Oct 19, 2015

It was really out of control at my MS 2 years ago but seems to have calmed down. After the eraser challenge, it was the salt and ice challenge. Stupid You Tube gives these kids exact instructions on how to do this type of stuff.

peacockblue · Oct 19, 2015

Don't forget the "smiley faces" they make on their skin by holding the end of a hot Bic lighter against their skin. I always tell the girls how nice that scar will look on their wedding day. Alcohol is usually involved.

Farawyn · Oct 19, 2015

Don't forget the "smiley faces" they make on their skin by holding the end of a hot Bic lighter against their skin. I always tell the girls how nice that scar will look on their wedding day. Alcohol is usually involved.

Kids still have lighters? No one smokes anymore. Just pot. :Ghost:

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Oct 20, 2015

I was a lame kid. Biggest dare I ever did was to put 11 packets of salt on one french fry and eat it. Earned $5 that day.

But seriously, youtube (and the internet in general) is a big how-to-do-stupid-things catalog. Last year, the ice/salt dare was a big thing with the middle school kids and I saw a few (luckily minor) burns because of it.

kidzcare · Oct 20, 2015

I was a lame kid. Biggest dare I ever did was to put 11 packets of salt on one french fry and eat it. Earned $5 that day.

Ug!!! I ran a 1/2 marathon in July and it was 90+ degrees and humid in Chicago so I salted some water that morning so I wouldn't collapse and it was AWFUL!! Ew, ew, ew!!!