Have a crack at the latest TikTok craze: peeling raw eggs

HOW do you like your eggs? Raw seems to be the dish of the day on TikTok, where a new challenge is proving all the rage. The 'Egg peel challenge' basically involves peeling an egg – not a hard-boiled egg, but a raw egg. The hashtag has already notched up more than 15 million views on the social networking site, making it a new hit.

However, this unusual challenge is far from simple, and patience is the key to success. Users rise to the challenge armed with implements such as a blackhead remover, tweezers or other random medical instruments. The goal is to succeed in removing the shell of a raw egg without breaking its membrane. And, if successful, the result is just as bizarre, as users find themselves holding a fragile film-like pouch containing the coveted raw egg.

While the challenge is ultimately pretty pointless, users on TikTok are hungry for more. Live egg peeling videos attract many users, who don't hesitate to give money in the form of donations to the creators. Some videos are getting millions of views. Even on Twitter, users are sharing their bewildered fascination: "accidentally watched a live stream of someone peeling a raw egg for 20 minutes," reads one tweet.

So why is this challenge so popular? Apparently, users are seduced by the fascinating and strangely satisfying aspect of the process, which helps them to relax while watching these videos.

The 'Egg peel challenge' isn't the platform's only egg-related craze. Another popular TikTok challenge involved users testing how gentle their pets could be by giving them a raw egg to hold in their jaws, without breaking. – ETX Daily Up, February 1, 2022