An online gaming challenge that allegedly goads players into committing suicide has raised concerns among parents, teachers and doctors.
“The Blue Whale game” or “Blue Whale challenge” is believed to be a suicide game, wherein a group of administrators or a certain curator gives a participant a task to complete daily — for a period of 50 days — the final of which is the participant committing suicide.
The players are expected to share photos of the tasks completed by them, noted a release issued by the Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute.
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‘Self-mutilation’
The daily tasks start off easy — such as listening to certain genres of music, waking up at odd hours, watching a horror movie — and then escalate to self-mutilation and suicide.
The recent horror associated with the game is the death of a 14-year-old student in Mumbai, who apparently jumped off the terrace of the building in which he lived.
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Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over how the game is played.
Linked to social media
“While some say the user has to install some app on their smartphone, others say it’s via social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, where the administrators get in touch with the participant after those interested throw out postings on social media asking for a “curator”. A number of hashtags— #bluewhalechallenge, #curatorfindme, #i_am_whale — act as signals for the anonymous curators,” read the release.
Pallavi Joshi, a psychologist at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, said parents should be vigilant about the daily activities of their children.
‘Easy manipulation’
“Kids can be easily manipulated. Their curiosity and enthusiasm often lead to disasters,” she warned.
Dr. Anil Bansal of the Delhi Medical Association said parents should keep a tab on any behavioural changes in their children.
“Eat one meal with your child daily without any electronic gadgets in hand. This will allow you to gauge his/ her mental and emotional state,” he said.