These days social media challenges are quite trending. People pick up a concept and make them viral through various methods. A challenge called the Blue Whale Challenge got viral almost a year back and that led to many suicides cases among teenagers across the world.
And now, with a new concept, another challenge has been introduced that is called the ‘Momo Challenge’. Under this, the children and teenagers are encouraged to perform several dangerous and weird acts. This challenge is going viral on various social media platforms and mostly on WhatsApp.
This challenge has reportedly led to the death of a 12-year-old girl in Argentina as stated by the Buenos Aires Times. This challenge initiated on Facebook where the people were challenged to interact with unknown numbers. As soon as the initial contact with a user is established, the Momo account sends a number of challenges and activities that are to be completed to meet ‘Momo’.
This basically includes challenges that compel children to engage in a series of violent acts that end with suicide. If a user declines to follow the game’s orders, Momo threatens them with violent and unwanted images. It is being said that the account seems to be connected to three numbers in Japan, Mexico and Columbia.
ABOUT MOMO:
Momo is a social media profile on various platforms which has an image of a monstrous and scary doll as the display picture. The doll has a wide mouth and large eyes which brings out the curiosity among the children.
DEATHS BY MOMO CHALLENGE:
As stated earlier, the death of a 12-year-old has been reported. The girl recorded her activities immediately before the suicide on her phone and thus, the authorities doubt that someone compelled her to take her own life.
The officials are hunting for the “adolescent with whom she exchanged those messages” and have issued a warning to the parents to look after the browsing activities of their children.
However, there have not been any kind of cases of this challenge in India and this challenge seems to be absent as of now. As per cyber experts, the challenge is a trick determined at stealing personal data and extorting information.