'Please don't hurt yourselves': Netflix warns fans against viral 'Bird Box Challenge'

After the Kiki challenge that dangerously trended last year, a new challenge has caught the fancy of people around the world. Taking a cue from Netflix's post-apocalyptic thriller Bird Box, people are walking around blindfolded in what they call 'Bird Box Challenge'.

In Netflix's recent release Bird Box, directed by Susanne Bier, actress Sandra Bullock plays a mother who wears a blindfold to keep herself from making eye contact with mysterious forces that push you to kill yourself. (Spoiler alert) As the film opens, we see Bullock blindfold two little children and warning them to not open their eyes if they wanted to stay alive. The film goes on to shows blindfolded Bullock row down a turbulent river with the children.

The fans of the film, inspired by the film, took on the #BirdBoxChallenge, performing everyday tasks blindfolded. Some of the videos even have blindfolded children in seemingly dangerous situations, if things go the wrong way. After the challenge went viral, Netflix issued a warning to viewers: "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."

In a statement released earlier, Netflix claimed that 45 million of its subscribers had watched Bird Box around the world within seven days of its release.