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Start Talking!
Know! The
Trending Online Suicide Game: Blue Whale Challenge
8/9/2017
There’s yet another online trend catching the attention of tweens and
teens around the world. It’s called the Blue Whale Challenge. But
unlike some of the fun, harmless challenges we’ve seen in the past, the
Blue Whale Challenge poses dire consequences. To win this game is to
take one’s own life.
This social media game that is being accessed through Snapchat,
Instagram and Facebook began in Russia and has made its way into
multiple other countries including the U.S. The basis of the challenge
is that an anonymous “group administrator,” otherwise known as “the
curator,” hands out 50 tasks to selected players that must be
completed, documented and posted during a 50-day period. The tasks
start off small but become increasingly more harmful, with players
being asked to wake up at unusual hours to watch disturbing videos,
self-cut in the shape of a whale and take selfies while hanging off the
highest rooftop they can find. In the end, the only way to “win” the
Blue Whale Challenge is to die by suicide.
It is being debated whether this challenge is real or just a viral
hoax. However, police nationwide aren’t taking chances, and are sending
warnings to parents and school administrators following the suicides of
two U.S. teens whose deaths appear to be connected to the Blue Whale
Challenge.
In July 2017, 15-year-old Isaiah Gonzales was found hanging in his
closet with his cell phone propped up nearby where he had been
livestreaming his suicide. According to his family, Isaiah was a happy
kid who showed no signs of depression. He had recently joined the ROTC
program at his Texas school and was gearing up to start his sophomore
year in high school. The family had not heard of the Blue Whale
Challenge until after their son’s death. In addition to the suicide
video, they found other photos of the teen documenting acts of
self-harm on his cell phone – connecting back to the challenge.
A second teenage death in the U.S. is also being linked to the Blue
Whale Challenge. A 16-year-old Georgia girl, whose family is choosing
to keep her name private, committed suicide in May 2017. Her death,
like that of Isaiah’s, came as a shock to family and friends. Following
her death, her older brother discovered the link to the Blue Whale
Challenge. He found a sketch his sister had drawn of a girl with a name
beneath it in Russian. It turned out to be the name of a 17-year-old
girl who posted a “goodbye” selfie moments before committing suicide in
Russia in November 2015 – that traced back to something called the Blue
Whale Challenge. The brother then remembered the picture of the blue
whale taped next to his sister’s mirror in her bedroom. As he continued
to look through her sketches he found pages of whale drawings and
magazine cutouts with the words “I Am a Blue Whale” pasted over them,
accompanied by drawings indicating self-harm, suicidal statements and
multiple entries written in Russian. The family said they had no idea
their daughter knew Russian.
As an adult, we wonder why any youth would get involved in something
like this in the first place, knowing the consequences. For one thing,
we must consider the tween/teenage brain and where it is in
development. Logic is not at the forefront. Curiosity is likely a large
factor for seeking out this challenge, but depression and desire for
acceptance may play a role as well.
As for what keeps a youth in the game, even after the stakes rise to
dangerous levels? Psychological manipulation for one. Former players
also say the “curator” threatens blackmail and harm to them and their
families if they don’t complete the assigned tasks.
As parents, we’re shaking our heads in disbelief and wondering what we
need to do to prevent our child from getting involved in something so
awful. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to stay ahead of all
social media trends that may impact our youth, so the most important
thing we can do to protect our children is to talk them.
Initiate conversations on the topic: Share the dangers of online
challenges such as this; encourage them not to follow the crowd and not
to feel pressured into doing anything that makes them feel
uncomfortable or unsafe.
Create an open, trusting environment: Provide them with opportunities
to talk to you, then listen without judgement. Make sure they know that
no matter what situation they may find themselves in the virtual or
“real” world, including something you may find inappropriate, you are
there to help them through it.
It is also important to monitor your children’s social media
activities: Three hashtags that signal this particular game include:
#BlueWhaleChallenge, #CuratorFindMe and #I_Am_Whale.
Heavy.com, a New York-based digital media company, posted an example
List of 50 Tasks. While tasks may vary or change over time, being aware
of the types of signs to watch out for can only be helpful.
Learn how to get the drug prevention conversation started at
StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.
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