Exit Blue Whale, enter Momo: A disturbing viral challenge is forcing teens to kill themselves

Momo-challenge-insta The avatar used for the game is the image of a doll | via Instagram

The internet, arguably, is a vicious place. For every app and network that makes your life a little more cosy, there are plenty of others that could potentially ruin your very existence if you are gullible enough. The many scams, trolls and stalkers are only the tip of the iceberg that this fiendish ogre hides under its benign countenance.

First came Slender Man—an abnormally tall figure with tentacles in place of hands. He had the power to convince the young and susceptible to take the life of another to 'please' him or to save your near and dear ones from being taken away by him. The Slender Man grabbed headlines after teenagers Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser, from Wisconsin in the US, brutally stabbed their friend to 'please' Slender Man.

Then came the Blue Whale challenge, which took the teens on the web by storm. The challenge involved a series of tasks—which involved self-harm and culminated in suicide—dictated by an unknown entity to people who were willing to partake in the game. The challenge had claimed the lives of many teens across the globe.

The new demon that is prowling on the internet, on the lookout for impressionable teens and others to harm themselves is Momo, a disturbing viral challenge.

The avatar used for the game is the image of a doll borrowed from the work of Japanese artist Midori Hayashi—the grotesque photo of a woman with a bulging eyes, chicken legs, and a weird, distorted smile plastered across her face. The body of the woman appears to be smaller than the face. Hayashi, however, has nothing to do with the challenge.

The game is reportedly circulated on WhatsApp. According to a report that appeared in The Sun, game began on Facebook where members were "challenged" to get in touch with an unknown number. If a person decides to communicate with this unknown entity, he or she is greeted with a series of disturbing images and videos. The participant is then coerced into following the orders given by the person at the other end. If he/she refuses to follow orders, the user would be bombarded with violent images.

Those who have had interaction with the 'Momo' number claimed that they were sent violent and disturbing images at night and threats of unknown person appearing before them when they are asleep and cursing them. There have also been claims of receiving terrifying phone calls which consisted solely of screams and creepy noises.

The suicide of a 12-year-old girl from Escobar in Argentina has been blamed on the game. She was reportedly found dead near her home after communicating with 'Momo'.

According to media reports, incidents linked to the game have been cited from USA, France, Mexico and Germany. It is not possible to pin down the identity of the person to a particular WhatsApp user as there are at least three phone numbers—from Japan, Mexico and Columbia—reportedly connected to this 'challenge'.

Cyber crime experts, however, are of the opinion that the challenge is merely a hoax meant to exact personal information.

The game is yet to reach India. That, however, is no reason to breath easy, as all it takes for a game to go viral is a share on a social media platform after chancing upon the challenge.

Prevention and care

*It is important to communicate with your child. Create an atmosphere that is conducive to open communication. Tell your child that he/she is free to speak his/her mind to you. Listen to their problems and concerns

*Monitor the online activities of your child. While this may sound a bit rude, it is important to ensure that your child is not in touch with unknown people on social media platforms

*Look for signs of self-harm or tendency to inflict self-harm