SALT LAKE CITY — In the wake of several disturbing social media challenges targeting young people, a different kind of viral challenge is inspiring thousands to clean up social media by cleaning up the earth.

It's no secret there's a lot of trash to be found online.

Facebook user Byron Roman was feeling frustrated about the lack of uplifting content on social media and wanted to do something to change the dialogue.

That's when he came across a post from Guatemalan travel company Happy Tours GT, which featured a "before" photo of a man surrounded by trash and the dramatic "after" once he was done cleaning up the area, according to the Washington Post.

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It proved to be just the inspiration he was looking for, reposting the image on his own Facebook page.

"Here is a new #challenge for all you bored teens," Roman wrote in a March 5 post. "Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then take a photo after you have done something about it, and post it."

It didn't take long for Roman's post to go viral. As of April 9, it has been shared more than 330,000 times and garnered over 101,000 likes.

Thousands of #trashtag posts from all over the world have been popping up on multiple social media platforms.

One woman took to Twitter to share how the challenge inspired her family to be more conscious of litter alongside the road.

"I don't have a before-and-after picture, but here's a couple of pictures of me with my family picking up trash from the roadside whenever we made a rest stop," user Adhiti wrote.

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Twitter user City Dave used the challenge to do something different for his birthday this year. "Decided to pick up trash for my birthday and filled up 4 bags #20 #trashtag," he wrote in a post.

Instagram user juliamewmewmew posted a photo after a quick trash-collecting session before work. "I took 1.5 hours before work to do my part and pick up some trash!" she wrote. "I love #trashtag."

The #trashtag hashtag has actually been around for several years. Back in 2015, Seattle outdoor lighting company UCO Gear encouraged people to pick up trash and post about it on social media using #trashtag in an effort to collect 10,000 pieces of garbage by October 2016, according to a company press release.

Roman is thrilled the movement is gaining traction again and that it's making social media a more uplifting place, especially for teens.

"I was just looking to add a positive message," Roman told Weather.com. "The message resonated with many around the world, so I guess I inspired more than just my social media friends."

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It's a refreshing break from other viral challenges that have sparked concern and frustration in recent years. Last year's "Tide pod challenge" dared teens to film themselves biting into the liquid laundry detergent packets and post about it online.

Then came the "Bird Box challenge," inspired by the Netflix film in which characters would become possessed by an unseen evil entity if they opened their eyes. The challenge required people to perform dangerous tasks, such as driving, while blindfolded.

Earlier this year, a Layton teen crashed her car after police say she pulled a beanie over her eyes while driving.

Roman hopes the latest viral challenge keeps trending for a long time to come.

“I think it’s our responsibility to keep our planet clean," he told the Post. "It doesn’t matter who made the mess because it belongs to all of us.”

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