Bethel Middle School is warning parents about a dangerous new game: “The Eraser Challenge”

Bethel Middle School students are partaking in a dangerous new game: The Eraser Challenge. Parents are baffled and teachers don't know what to think, or how to stop the weird activities. Many kids continue to play the game, although it said to be painful. Adults are also noticing the dangerous medical risks the game may influence.
 
The Eraser Game is basically when "teens use an eraser and rub it back and forth on their arm between the wrist and elbow while reciting the alphabet and coming up with a word for each letter" (Krafcik). After finishing the game, students compare wounds. Many have gone to the nurse complaining of burning and irritation even hours after playing the game. Nurses and parents have realized that playing the game, if done vigorously, can break the skin and cause bleeding. The administration of the school sent out a letter to parents of Bethel Middle School, explaining what their child may or may not be partaking in, and asked them to explain to their children the risks of the game.

Teachers have discovered that students share, or pass around a single eraser between groups of friends, spreading bodily fluids, such as blood and puss. Though most students know not to get someone else's blood in their blood stream, these students don't realize that this game is one way to do just that. This medical mishap has caused severe irritation and infection, although it has not yet caused a serious problem, such as contracting some sort of disease.

 Sixth grader Of Bethel Middle, Alexandra Luhrs, says she's seen classmates play the game in the hallways of her school, though she never really had the urge to play. Luhrs stated that “They were like, 'oh it stings so bad', but they just kept going", referring to her schoolmates (Krafcik). Teachers worry that the leading cause of the game's rising popularity is peer pressure within the school. Alexandra's father, John Luhrs commented on the matter, stating that “[he didn’t] understand why kids [were] mutilating themselves or doing things to hurt themselves” (Krafcik). Many parents had no idea of the game until the school had notified them.

Although stopping this game is a serious matter, teachers will not reprimand students for partaking in this game. They are not worried about disciplining them against the game, as if a crime. They just want to keep the children from harming themselves.

I think that this game is very harmful, and can have effects that students may not fully understand. This game effects me personally because I know some people that play this game, and I have seen the damage it can cause. People should really try to inform their friends, family, children, and/or parents about the game, and how it can do damage to a person. I haven't had a friend who has been seriously hurt form it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did occur.

This relates to what we're doing in class, because in English 10, we talked about self harm and suicide prevention a little bit. Some people give themselves eraser burns as a source of self harm, rather than something else, such as cutting. Even though this is a game, and not an issue as bad as self harm and suicide, it is still a serious thing that needs to be addressed as much as possible.

I feel that the author's point of view is that the game is harmful and should be prevented. You can tell by finding textual evidence in the article such as when he states that the game is "dangerous" and "concern[ing]" (Krafcik). You can also tell because he is only showing the harsh and negative aspects of what parents and teachers were saying. The author talks about how the teachers and parents should stop the game from being played, and how they can tell their kids about the game's dangers. Their negative tone towards the game influences the article by letting the reader know that the game is a bad thing, and that it shouldn't be played. 


Muharem, Derek D. "Parent Letter". Letter. Fox. Tribune Broadcasting Company, 27 March 2014. Web. 30 March 2014.

 Krafcik, Mike. "Students Warned Of Danger Of ‘Eraser Challenge’". Fox. Tribune Broadcasting Company, 27 March 2014. Web. 30 March 2014.

Mr.E?. "Ouch 3". Flickr. Flickr, 11 January 2011. Web. 30 March 2014.