Planking, originally known as 'The Lying Down Game' in the UK during the late 1990s, became a massive global internet phenomenon around 2011. The practice involves lying face down with an expressionless face and arms flat against the sides, usually in increasingly precarious or absurd public locations. It gained mainstream notoriety through social media platforms like Facebook, where participants competed to find the most creative spots—ranging from kitchen counters to the peaks of skyscrapers. While it eventually sparked safety concerns and faded as newer challenges emerged, planking remains a foundational piece of internet culture history, representing the early era of viral physical challenges and the universal quest for digital attention.