Govt issues advisory against deadly ‘Momo’ challenge game

NEW DELHI: The government has issued an advisory against the Momo challenge — an online game similar to the infamous Blue Whale game — that pushes children, teenagers, and relatively younger people towards suicide.
The advisory, issued by the ministry of electronics & IT, comes in the wake of reports of suicide by some youngsters in certain parts of the country. “It is reported in the media that there is a new online challenge game called ‘The Momo Challenge’ which started on Facebook where members are ‘challenged’ to communicate with unknown numbers. It went viral on social media platforms, especially WhatsApp ,” the ministry said as it asked parents to look for “signs and symptoms” to guard their children from any potential danger.

Read also: What is the deadly Momo challenge and what you need to know ‘Monitor kids’ online, social media activities’
The signs include children becoming withdrawn from friends and family, or having persistent low mood and unhappiness. They may look worried and fail to carry out day-to-day tasks, or have sudden outbursts of anger.

Other symptoms include loss of interest in activities they previously used to enjoy, or even having visible marks like deep cuts or wounds on any part of the body.
“Check in with your child. Ask if there have been things stressing them, or anything that has them worried… Monitor your children’s online and social media activity to ensure they are not engaging in this game,” MeitY said.
It also said parents should not have discussions about the deadly game with the child if s/he is still unaware of it. “By doing so, you increase the chance that your child will search for it on their own.”