Think Tank

Should I take my child to climb the despairing slope to practice courage or risk my life?

2025-12-15   

During this period, a wild climbing route called "Despair Slope" and "Heshi Slope" by netizens on Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, Hunan has become a popular check-in spot for internet celebrities. On social media, someone has specially created a roadmap, packaging this steep slope covered in gravel as a "holy land for parent-child challenges", claiming that it can help children exercise courage in adventure. However, as parents and their children climb the nearly 70 degree inclined gravel slope without any protective equipment, this so-called 'brave game' has long lost its flavor. Bravery, boldness, and fearlessness are qualities that are worthy of praise and essential spiritual nourishment for children's growth. But putting life in danger to 'exercise courage' is like drinking poison to quench thirst. The Yuelu Mountain Scenic Area has already erected warning signs on both sides of the slope stating "No Climbing", and the broadcasting system is repeatedly playing safety reminders, but it still cannot stop the enthusiasm of some parents. What is even more worrying is that this dangerous behavior is being packaged as a 'mandatory course for personal growth'. On short video platforms, the check-in videos of "Desperate Slope" often receive tens of thousands of likes, and the comment section is filled with comments that follow the trend of "others can climb, why can't I. When parents hold their phones to record their children's "brave moments", they often overlook the most basic safety knowledge: children's physical coordination is far inferior to adults, and a 70 degree gravel slope poses a challenge for professional climbers, let alone children who lack risk judgment ability? A collective unconscious adventure quietly unfolded. As the first line of defense in scenic areas, if physical isolation or intelligent monitoring can be strengthened in dangerous areas, how can "no climbing" become a paper article? Parents, under the guise of "exercising courage", have alienated their guardianship responsibilities into traffic materials, but have forgotten that true courage education begins with reverence for rules. And some online platforms' algorithm recommendations for dangerous content have further fueled this adventure, making "wild crawling strategies" the traffic password. When parents use "exercising courage" to justify adventurous behavior, they may forget that true courage comes from a reverence for rules rather than reckless risk-taking, and growth is about assessing risks rather than conquering steep slopes. Those children trembling on the gravel slope, the steep slope of life they will climb in the future is far more dangerous than this. Is what I have learned from my parents at this moment the wisdom to face challenges head-on, or the luck to ignore danger? In the era of traffic supremacy, the popularity of "Despair Slope" is not an isolated case. From the fluorescent pollution on the "Blue Tears" beach to the fake queues at internet famous restaurants, and now to the adventure in the mountains and wilderness, we seem to have fallen into a strange logic: the more dangerous it is, the more we should pursue it, and the more forbidden it is, the more we should challenge it. This check-in culture is turning our lives into carefully planned performances, with authenticity and safety becoming the most expensive props. The cloud broadcast on Yuelu Mountain is still playing warnings in a loop, but what is more important than mechanical reminders is the safety alarm in everyone's heart. When we raise our phones to record 'brave moments', why not first ask ourselves: Is it worth risking our child's safety? When we repost 'Wild Crawling Strategy', should we consider the potential imitation effect it may trigger? The real place for internet celebrities to check-in should not be to let the stones of despair roll down, but to let the flowers of hope bloom in a safe environment. In the era of the internet, a "outrageous" check-in may earn likes, but an accident can destroy the entire family. When the label of 'Desperate Slope' is pushed to more parent-child accounts by algorithms, we need to reflect even more: it's time to pour cold water on 'wild education'. There is no shortcut to a child's growth, safety is the bottom line of all education. This discussion about the 'Desperate Slope' will eventually be overwhelmed by new traffic like other hot events. But those footprints left on steep slopes, those moments wandering on the edge of danger, should be the starting point for our reflection - there should never be room for compromise between pursuing excitement and ensuring safety. After all, life has no chance to start over. (New Society)

Edit:Wang Shu Ying Responsible editor:Li Jie

Source:Beijing Youth Daily

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