ABOUT BLUE WHALE

What is the Blue Whale game?

The Blue Whale Challenge is an online game in which participants follow a social media account, which instructs them to complete 50 disturbing challenges. Challenges grow in their extremes; starting with watching a horror movie or listening to a particular song and develop into the participant live streaming some form of self-harm.

The Blue Whale Challenge hit headlines after it was linked to the death of 130 teenagers in Russia. Various media reports suggested the game began in Russia before spreading to Eastern Europe and two ‘masterminds’ behind the evil game have now been arrested.

US media reports claimed The Blue Whale Challenge was responsible for the death of two teenagers including 15-year-old Isaiah Gonzalez, whose parents spoke out about the game after they found he had live-streamed his suicide on his smartphone. However, many experts claim the game is a hoax after they have been unable to confirm a link between the deaths and the challenge.

A teen boy comes across the online social media game, The Blue Whale. He is given one challenge after the other. He accomplishes every task and keeps on moving to the subsequent levels. The final and concluding challenge asks him to commit suicide. He clicks himself on top of a building and jumps. If police speculations are to be believed, this is what led to the death of the 14-year-old Mumbai boy four days ago. This is the first death in India, which is being linked to the infamous Blue Whale Game

Why has it sparked controversy?

While The Blue Whale Challenge may have initially been a hoax or as dubbed by some ‘fake news’ – it is now becoming problematic. There are concerns that some young people are abusing the fear around the challenge to encourage others to self-harm and carry out various dares and post the results online under the guise of The Blue Whale challenge.

Instagram has taken action and issues a warning message to any user searching for the results of the challenge.

The Blue Whale Game raises some important questions in terms of media influence and the power of the Internet. Whether the Blue Whale Game is real or just a hoax, it is now causing concern.

What can you do to protect children?Tips for Parents

Ask your child what they are doing online. It’s important you understand what websites, apps, and social media platforms they are on

Check their privacy settings. Make sure they know how to make their profiles ‘private’ so they are not sharing personal information with strangers. For example, Facebook has a Privacy Health check feature

Make sure they know when and how to report and block any malicious or inappropriate messages or posts

Be careful about over-sharing personal information such as your school, telephone number or anything that identifies where you might live. Consider not using your full name for your profile

Use the ‘t-shirt test’ when it comes to sharing images online or sending pictures or videos to friends: Would you wear it on your T-shirt? If not, then don’t send it

Parents need to keep talking to the kids. Take interest in your child's activities. Give them space to share their feelings without negating them.

Have regular conversations with your children about the risks they may be exposed to and how to deal with them, such as cyber bullying and grooming, and ensure they feel able to come and talk to you if they see anything upsetting

Never reprimand your teen for whining, crying or staying aloof. Try to find out the reason behind unnatural behavior. For example, a disturbed stomach could be a sign of anxiety.

Talk to your child for 20 minutes every day without interrupting them. This will help you read trouble signs - are they being bullied, body shamed or going through academic decline?

Monitor their digital behavior and subtly keep an eye on their Internet activity. It is extremely important

If you are worried about your child’s emotional welfare or are concerned they may have come across The Blue Whale Challenge contact psychology doctor.