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Teens are beating the s**t out of nobody for the #FightingAirChallenge

Nobody’s looking to start a brawl.

Photo of Miles Klee

Miles Klee

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Teen Twitter is nothing without its challenges, both great and stupid. Recently, we saw kids roast each other in that classically immature “hurrr-durrr” voice for the #HuhChallenge. On the more daring side, they’ve been known to deliberately pass out and even set themselves on fire—because even if you die, going viral is forever. (Forever = about 30 seconds.)

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The latest trend is unlikely to send anyone to the hospital, however, and makes clever use of teens’ inherent awkwardness. In the #FightingAirChallenge, one thrashes and flails as if trading blows with someone who doesn’t actually exist. Which makes them easier to beat.

https://twitter.com/jaackiiieeee__/status/789241873072136192

Sadly, the earliest use of the hashtag links to a Vine that has been deleted, so we have only the haziest idea of the concept’s origins. But another early video shows a group of girls engaged in a massive brawl with nobody.

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https://twitter.com/pinknoveau/status/789213036682752001

And last December, long before the hashtag existed, it appeared that at least one dude was always ready to throw down against thin air.

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The year before, this Vine of a dude shadowboxing was also a viral hit. 

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But moving forward, the action choreography only got more intense.

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https://twitter.com/FreddyAmazin/status/789655305277706241

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https://twitter.com/honestlydae/status/792872137510023170

https://twitter.com/gr8pgod/status/792834058396901376

https://twitter.com/mariahhfitch/status/792805576875077632

https://twitter.com/AvinPark2612/status/791454019268907008

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Not everyone is a fan, however—the #FightingAirChallenge has its haters.

https://twitter.com/jerry_l_55/status/792788793967337473

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https://twitter.com/suicidebully/status/792809602073104384

(Sorry, this embed was not found.)

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Meanwhile, some highlighted previously existing examples of the gimmick.

https://twitter.com/GylfiPleasures/status/792823885687324672

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https://twitter.com/traceyfanclub/status/792805169465430017

Whatever your feelings about kids throwing wild punches in imitation of a knockdown melee, you can rest assured that—like all things now popular with the youth—it’ll be over by the time you’re done reading this sentence.

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The Daily Dot