Streamer Norme attempted a world record for staying awake past 264 hours. The challenge, whose initial broadcasting had been done on YouTube but moved to Kick and Rumble after the subsequent bans of the platform—quickly went downhill as a stunt that became dangerous, ending with police responses and hospitalization.
Cops showed up at the house of the streamer who is attempting to stay awake for over 264 hours
The police instructed them to see a doctor after completing the challenge but allowed them to continue streaming pic.twitter.com/sLOGWYs7QO
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 12, 2024
As the days went by, his mental and physical deterioration was fully visible to the viewers. Such fear of serious health risks related to severe sleep deprivation occasioned several reports to the authorities. Police showed up to make a welfare check on him and begged Norme to visit a doctor once he completed the challenge. The streamer continued, which eventually made him collapse when the marathon was about to end.
When the police arrived, they found Norme in a concerning state but allowed him to continue the stream, advising him to go to the hospital immediately after the conclusion of the challenge. Far from heeding this warning, Norme forged forward, stressing his body and mind beyond their limits. When the final hours of the challenge rolled around, an ambulance was called into action that did impress on him how serious this whole situation was.
Ultimately, Norme finished the challenge and stayed awake for 264 hours and 56 minutes. This exploit has, however, received a lot of backlash. Many critics have come out to point out that this stunt is very extreme in nature, dangerous, but more significantly sets a very troublesome precedent for such supposed content creation. Even the Guinness World Records, which at one time acknowledged sleep deprivation records, pulled them because such stunts were too dangerous—therefore, Norme’s record remains unofficial.
The online community stands partially divided on the case. While many have commended Norme’s perseverance and will, others had deep concerns over the ethical boundaries and health risks such extreme challenges may pose to participants. This incident sparked a much more extensive debate about the safety of these kinds of content and the responsibilities of platforms and creators in ensuring the well-being of subjects taken in for such stunts.
