“Challenges” Gone Wild

By Lynnola Christman

The “Momo Challenge” is a “game” that is targeted toward young adults. This is a “challenge” where kids perform ruthless activities. They are told to harm themselves, their family, or “Momo” is going to “kill” them. “Momo” is a statue made by a Japanese artist named Keisuke Aiso. A picture of the statue is photoshopped into a very short video, which is viewed in the middle of other kids’ programs. Some examples of the videos are DIY Slime and Fortnite to episodes of a kid’s show called “Peppa Pig.” There were a few deaths that were reported, but there were no confirmations that they were directly connected to the “Momo Challenge.” Schools around the world were concerned and notified parents with letters and emails whether it was a hoax or not.

This challenge is similar to the Blue Whale Challenge that was going around in 2016 which targeted teenagers to perform fifty tasks in fifty days. A kid named Isaiah Gonzalez was even threatened if he didn’t follow through with this “game.” There were many cases where the parents, or guardians, of the children said the cause of their child’s death was from this challenge. There was a case where a LeFlore County, Oklahoma Sheriff said that the cause of a twelve-year old boy’s death was from this challenge. The Sheriff later found two other girls who went to the same school as this boy were participating in this so-called challenge as well. They eventually got some help.
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Some people think that instances like these are just a hoax. Other people take these outrageous activities very seriously. People need to stay aware of what’s trending on social media, real or not. Dangerous “games” like these target kids who already have suicidal thoughts. This can cause them to feel even worse and encourage them to harm themselves even more.
If there is ever a time you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, don’t hesitate to call the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.