The Eye Tracker Challenge Tests Your Lizard Brain — Can You Pass It?

You may have seen a new challenge making the rounds on your various social media feeds. This one is meant to take advantage of the “lizard brain” tendencies we all have at times. It got its start on YouTube and Twitch but has since started making the trek to TikTok and other social media sites. Today, we’re talking about the eye tracker challenge. But what is the eye tracker challenge? So glad you asked.

In eye tracker challenge videos, people use eye-tracking technology that records and projects where the user’s eye is looking on their screen. They then watch a video and attempt not to look at a certain part of their screen while the video plays. (BTW: There’s usually some NSFW language in these videos, just so you’re aware.)

While there may be several types of videos uploaded to be the focus of  “eye tracker challenge” videos, the vast majority of them fall into one category. Most of the videos eye tracker challenge participants watch are of women who are dressed in a way that draws attention to their bodies, or who move in a way that accomplishes the same thing.

Put simply: The challenge is to try to resist looking at an attractive woman’s breasts or butt. Since the eye-tracker technology shows where the person is looking, any failure to keep their eyes where they “should” be is broadcast to anyone who’s watching them complete the challenge.

While it’s certainly not a particularly high-brow challenge, it’s all done in good fun (and with everyone’s consent, natch). People seem to get a kick out of watching other people try to resist their basest urges, as well as at trying their own hand at resisting the temptation to look where they’re not “supposed” to be looking.

If you’re wanting to make a video used in an eye tracker challenge video, we probably don’t need to explain that. Upload a video of you doing whatever it is you want to do to your favorite social platform. If you’re using TikTok, add an #eyetrackerchallenge hashtag in the caption to get the right eyeball on it (literally).

If you want to participate in the challenge, you’re first going to need to download some eye-tracking software. It seems like the most popular one is Tobii Eye Tracker software. You’ll also need the actual hardware. In most cases, it’ll set you back about $150. Tobii makes one, although you can also probably find other third-party trackers.

Once you install both the hardware and the software, you’re good to go! At this time, there doesn’t appear to be a software-only option for eye-tracking — but considering the ways that could be used nefariously, that might be for the best!

Of course, if you don’t feel like shelling out cash to make a sharable video, you can always just challenge yourself to try and keep your eyes in an innocent place while watching the challenge videos. As with all things, just makes sure to keep it fun and safe for all involved parties!