NOT A GAME: The Momo Viral Challenge
Not that long ago, we warned you about the Blue Whale Challenge, an online ‘game’ that ends in its participants committing suicide based on game instructions. Circulating right now across Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp is another similarly dangerous game – The Momo Challenge.
Digital parents, you have one job to do tonight as a mom or a dad.
Your job is to ask your child if they have heard of the Momo Challenge.
If they have, ask them if they are playing the game (or challenge). Ask them if any of their friends are playing the game.
THIS IS NO GAME.
The game asks users to add a number to their contacts. The ‘controller’ then sends violent images and messages from that number, asking the ‘player’ to do various violent actions that eventually lead to killing themselves, all while and post images or videos of them doing so. The controller claims to know things about the player and threatens to release the information if he or she doesn’t do what the controller says.
In Russia, the game has been linked to 130 deaths, and Argentinian authorities are investigating whether a 12-year-old girl who recently killed herself was prompted to do so by the game.
If your kids are playing the “game” or “challenge” (or any similar type of self-harm activity), you may need to get professional help. If your child is cutting themselves, you NEED to seek professional help.
If you are reading this post and you are cutting yourself or having suicidal thoughts, there are people that care about you and are available to help you. Suicide is never a solution. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis for help from Crisis Text Line, (internationally, contact Befrienders Worldwide), call 911 (in the US) or your local emergency response number, or a suicide hotline to talk to someone.
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