A growing number of social media creators are pushing the boundaries of safety and good taste to feed algorithms and win followers. Trevor Jacob, a former U.S. Olympic snowboarder, staged a plane crash in 2021, posting a 13-minute video titled “I Crashed My Plane” that amassed five million views. Federal investigators later determined the crash was staged for online fame, leading to a federal prison sentence.

Experts note that influencers increasingly risk safety for attention, as algorithms reward extreme content. Across the world, creators trespass on skyscraper roofs, block highways, and provoke strangers in public spaces. Some are arrested, hospitalized, or have died.

Psychologist Kaveri Subrahmanyam of California State University notes that as platforms evolve, some are willing to risk prison or death for fame. Dalton Eatherly, known as Chud the Builder, livestreamed confrontations with racial slurs and was charged with attempted murder after a shooting in Clarksville, Tenn. Platforms like TikTok, Kick, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram enforce community guidelines to restrict dangerous content, but copycat behavior remains a concern.