Teens “summon” a demon named Charlie for a new trending challenge

by Leanna Tabora, junior entertainment editor

Teenagers have been participating in a new challenge on social media. This challenge is known as the Charlie Charlie Challenge.

By drawing a grid on a piece of paper and writing “yes” or “no” in the boxes and using pencils, someone would call upon the alleged “Mexican demon” named Charlie. They would call him by saying phrases such as, “Charlie Charlie, are you here?” or “Charlie Charlie, can we play?”

Here’s the fun and challenging part in it: after asking the question, someone would watch the pencil move to a certain answer (yes or no) after asking the questions. This would represent Charlie talking to someone from the dead. This would proceed someone to react by screaming, laughing, panicking, etc.

The social media aspect of it is teens posting videos of it online for attention and to trying to prove that Charlie is real.  For example, in this video of Twitter user PariCalvia doing the challenge, she’s asking the question, “Charlie Charlie, are you here?” The pencils moved to the “yes” part of the grid, resulting in the reaction of her and the people she was with running out of her house screaming.

However though, these videos don’t prove that Charlie is real at all. According to The Independent, there’s no Mexican demon being summoned. Instead, gravity is causing the pencil to move. Since the pencils are in a certain fixed and balanced position, very small movement or the slightest breath can tilt the pencil. That’s why the challenge works; the perfectly aligned position of the pencils being on top of each other will always move if they are put on top of each other correctly. If they aren’t, the pencils will experience too much friction and the pencils won’t move at all.

Even if someone was to do the challenge, “Charlie” wouldn’t be “haunting” you after the fact. However, Twitter user coral_olivia claimed that Siri kept popping up out of no where saying “I don’t want to do this anymore,” and “Ok/Fine.” Even though it’s possible that strange things can occur after doing the challenge, it’s simply just someone’s brain entering into a mindset of fear that makes them feel as if Charlie is actually haunting them.
“Even though I don’t think Charlie is real, I wouldn’t do it because it seems pretty scary,” freshman Denise Amorgianos said.

Just like Bloody Mary, Charlie is simply an urban legend. There’s no need to worry about a Mexican demon claiming that he’s “here”, when he’s really not.