The internet has a long history of viral challenges, from the unsettling Slender Man to the dangerous Tide Pod challenge. One of the latest to capture parents’ attention is the “Momo Challenge,” a supposed online phenomenon that blends elements of the Black Mirror episode “Shut Up and Dance” with the infamous Blue Whale challenge. So, What Is Momo, and should you be worried?
The Momo Challenge allegedly involves targeting young children by encouraging them to contact a specific number on WhatsApp. Once contacted, the children receive instructions to complete increasingly disturbing and dangerous tasks. These tasks purportedly range from watching horror movies to engaging in self-harm, and even taking their own lives.
While the darker corners of the internet have buzzed about the Momo Challenge for some time, it recently resurfaced in the news after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued a public warning urging parents to monitor their children’s WhatsApp activity. Additionally, there have been reports of trolls editing child-friendly YouTube videos to include Momo images and self-harm instructions.
The Origins of Momo: Separating Fact from Fiction
It’s important to understand the origins of the “Momo” image itself. The unsettling bug-eyed girl with disheveled hair is actually a sculpture created by Keisuke Aisawa of Link Factory, a Japanese company specializing in horror film props and special effects. The sculpture was showcased at the Gen (Vanilla) Gallery in Tokyo’s Ginza district in August 2016. Some speculate that her bird-like claws may be inspired by the Japanese ubume, a wraith-like figure said to have died during childbirth.
The sculpture’s image gained traction after being posted on Instagram and subsequently on Reddit’s r/creepy subreddit, amassing thousands of upvotes and comments.
The actual Momo Challenge reportedly originated in the Spanish-speaking world, with Mexican authorities suggesting it began in a Facebook group. However, Google Trends indicates that the Momo Challenge didn’t gain significant traction in the English-speaking world until YouTuber ReignBot released a video analyzing the phenomenon in July 2018.
ReignBot’s video described how individuals who texted “Momo’s” number were instructed to complete a series of increasingly dangerous tasks, escalating from watching horror movies to self-harm and suicide. Failure to comply purportedly resulted in personal information leaks or threats of violence.
While ReignBot’s video largely debunked the phenomenon, stories about the dangers of the Momo Challenge began circulating in the English-speaking press. Internet safety “experts” urged parents to watch for warning signs that their children were participating in the game. One widely cited but poorly sourced report suggested that a 12-year-old girl in Buenos Aires committed suicide as a result of playing the Momo Challenge. It’s important to note that these reports remain unconfirmed.
There are also numerous “3 a.m. Momo challenges” on YouTube, which appear to be more comedic in nature.
Reports have also emerged of YouTube videos featuring kid-friendly characters like Peppa Pig being edited with Momo images and self-harm instructions. These videos appear to be created by trolls with the intent of disturbing children. “One kid might turn it off, but another kid who’s more vulnerable may leave it on,” said Dr. April Foreman, licensed psychologist, executive board member of the American Association of Suicidology.
Is the Momo Challenge a Real Threat? Drawing Parallels to the Blue Whale Challenge
The Momo Challenge and the subsequent moral panic it has generated share striking similarities with the “Blue Whale” challenge, a Russia-based phenomenon that went viral in 2017. The Blue Whale challenge allegedly involved teenagers completing a series of increasingly self-harmful tasks over 50 days, culminating in suicide.
While there was some truth to the Blue Whale reports, with a man named Philipp Budeikin arrested and charged with inciting suicide by organizing the game on social media, most of the charges were later dropped. Reports suggest that Budeikin may have created the groups to promote his music career.
Additional reports linking Blue Whale to teen suicides have also proven largely uncorroborated. Benjamin Radford, a folklorist and research fellow for the Committee for Skeptic Inquiry, believes that phenomena like Blue Whale and the Momo Challenge are “part of a moral panic, fueled by parents’ fears in wanting to know what their kids are up to…There’s an inherent fear in what young people are doing with technology.”
Even the North Ireland police department, which initially issued a warning about Momo, seems to believe the threat has been overstated. In a later Facebook post, they stated that, “Momo isn’t going to crawl out of your child’s phone and kill them.” They suggested the image is used by hackers seeking personal information.
Mental health experts caution that sensationalized news coverage could be harmful, potentially inspiring imitators. The case of the two 12-year-old girls from Wisconsin who attempted to stab their best friend to death to appease the fictional Slender Man serves as a cautionary tale. Radford points out that “Slender Man doesn’t have to exist in order for people to act on it.”
Real Dangers Online: Protecting Children from Exploitation
Even if the risks associated with challenges like the Momo Challenge are exaggerated, children are still vulnerable to exploitation by predators online. As tech writer James Bridle noted in a 2017 viral essay, platforms like YouTube are filled with content creators who exploit the platform’s algorithm to create disturbing and violent videos targeted at children. YouTube has faced criticism for its lack of action against this content.
Furthermore, YouTube has lost advertisers due to reports of pedophiles congregating in the platform’s comments sections, sometimes posting links to child pornography.
Radford emphasizes that online suicide challenges have “a kernel of truth, in that cyberbullying does happen. Sexual extortion does happen.” These real threats make the premise of these challenges plausible to parents and school administrators.
Foreman advises parents to have open conversations with their children about their internet use. Parents should remind children about the dangers of strangers online and implement parental controls and filters on their devices. Additionally, parents should encourage their children to report any disturbing content they encounter online.
The Bottom Line: A Kernel of Truth Amidst Exaggerated Fears
While the idea of a secret group of tech-savvy sociopaths urging children to commit suicide via WhatsApp may seem far-fetched, the internet does present real dangers for children. Parents should focus on having open conversations with their children about online safety, implementing parental controls, and reporting any disturbing content they encounter.
The internet is a scary place for kids, and parents have a lot to worry about as it is. There’s probably no need to add a shrieking bird lady sculpture from Japan to the list.
Anyone experiencing a crisis is encouraged to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
