There is a sinister “suicide game” on the Internet, which targets children with often deadly challenges. The "Momo challenge" has now reached the UK and is targeting kids on Whatsapp. The game features a scary looking woman with bird legs and bulging eyes, reportedly originally a Japanese image

As reported by Cambridgeshire Live, Google trends have shown an increase of 450 percent in the number of UK people searching on the words “how to play the Momo challenge.” It is also appearing when children are watching the popular TV programme, “Peppa Pig,” and sightings have been made in “Fortnite.”

Momo challenge and kids

With the Whatsapp incidents, children receive a message request from an unknown number.

If they respond, they receive graphic images and “Momo” warns them she will “curse them” unless they follow certain instructions. These instructions challenge the children to harm themselves or others.

The Manchester Evening News reports that the person or persons responsible for the Momo challenge are apparently now hacking into popular kids’ television programmes and games, including “Peppa Pig” and “Fortnite.” Photos arose of the Peppa Pig character being mutilated, which would be terrifying for small children.

National Online Safety releases recommendations

National Online Safety provides specialist information relating to online safety to schools.

They have now released eight “top tips” for parents to help them prevent children from being affected if targeted by the challenge. NOS first stresses that parents should explain to their children that the game is not real and that there isn’t a real person threatening them. Kids should also be told not to search for anything related to “Momo.”

Parents should also ensure they are present when their children go online to get an understanding of what they are doing and seeing.

As the challenge progresses, the tasks worsen, so parents should look out for any unusual behaviour from their children. They should ensure they talk about the “Momo” game openly with their children so they understand what is going on.

There are a variety of parental control settings on devices that will ensure children are unable to view certain unwanted content and also to monitor their activities.

They also recommended turning off the “auto-play” function on YouTube, which might unwittingly go into unwanted footage.

Also use the “block” feature, where available, to prevent unwanted challenges arising and report them to the platform involved. Parents should encourage children to screenshot or record anything that makes them feel uncomfortable and share it with them.

According to NOS, due to peer pressure among children, even scary challenges can tempt children to become involved. Parents should speak to their children explaining how to resist peer pressure and to not do anything they are uncomfortable about.

NOS also recommends that not everything on the Internet is true, telling parents to check the validity of news sources at all times before sharing anything that could cause more harm and worry.
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