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Initial upbringing of the Momo challenge

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Initial upbringing of the Momo challenge

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The exact initial dates of this challenge are not clear as this image has been known to circulate the internet for several years. Though in recent years, a dramatic inclination towards this topic has been noticed (refer to the trendline in figure 1). The actual image behind this challenge was derived from a sculpture created by special effects outfit Link Factory in Tokyo, Japan.The upbringing of this challenge was first introduced on Whatsapp where children were being encouraged to inflict harm on themselves and/or commit violent acts upon receival of messages. Wikipedia has created a page dedicated to this challenge after all of the controversy and popularity behind this topic.

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The " Momo Challenge" was a hoax and an Internet urban legend that was rumored to spread through social media and other outlets. It was reported that children and adolescents were being enticed by a user named Momo to perform a series of dangerous tasks including violent attacks, self-harm and suicide. Despite claims that the phenomenon had reached worldwide proportions in July 2018, the number of actual complaints was relatively small and no law enforcement agency has confirmed that anyone was harmed as a direct result of it.

The challenge was reported to become "a worldwide phenomenon" in 2018 after an Indonesian newspaper reported that it had caused a 12-year-old girl to kill herself. Awareness grew in February 2019 after the Police Service of Northern Ireland posted a public warning on Facebook, and American media personality Kim Kardashian posted on her Instagram Story pleading for YouTube to remove alleged "Momo" videos. The challenge has (or claims to have) existed in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, Luxembourg, Belgium, Iran, Pakistan, the Philippines, France, Switzerland, Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

The Momo Challenge gained the public's attention in July 2018, when information on the supposed challenge was outlined and discussed in videos produced by a YouTuber, ReignBot. Targeting teenagers, people presenting themselves as a character named Momo on WhatsApp messages try to persuade people to contact them through their cell phone. As with other Internet hoaxes presented as challenges such as " Blue Whale", players are then instructed to perform a succession of tasks, refusal to do so is met with threats. Messages are subsequently accompanied by frightening or gory pictures. Although the panic eventually died down throughout the rest of 2018, it returned in a much more pervasive form in early 2019, when it was claimed that Momo was being inserted into seemingly innocuous YouTube and YouTube Kids videos about Peppa Pig and ; these claims were repeated by the group National Online Safety.

Although authorities have not confirmed any physical harm resulting from this, or even that a sustained exchange of messages took place between the Momo character and anybody, police forces and school administrations on several continents have issued warnings about the Momo Challenge and repeated common advice about Internet safety. WhatsApp is encouraging its users to block phone numbers engaging in this practice and to report them to the company.

Commenting on the numerous rumours of suicide related to the Momo Challenge, web security experts and folklorists studying urban legends have stated that the phenomenon is likely a case of moral panic: a sensationalized hoax fuelled by unverified media reports. Benjamin Radford says "the Blue Whale Game and the Momo Challenge have all the hallmarks of a classic moral panic", "fuelled 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." By September 2018, most phone numbers supposedly associated with "Momo" were out of service. The founder of fact-checking site Snopes, David Mikkelson, doubts anybody actually came to any harm and said the whole thing "may primarily be a product of bullies and pranksters latching onto a handy mechanism to goad and torment vulnerable youngsters rather than an intrinsic part of a particular social media challenge."

In response to the reports in early 2019, YouTube has said that it has "not received any links to videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube" but permits news stories and videos intended to raise awareness of and educate against the alleged phenomenon. The website has demonetized all videos mentioning Momo, including those of news organizations, saying such content violates its advertiser-friendly content guidelines. It has also placed advisory warnings on some Momo videos alerting viewers of "inappropriate or offensive" content.

In India, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in West Bengal indicated on August 29, 2018, that claims reported in the media about the death of two teens being linked to the Momo Challenge were "far fetched and devoid of any evidence". CBI believes most of the large volume of Momo Challenge invitations in India originate locally as pranks sent to spread panic. A CBI spokesperson stated that "so far, the game has not claimed any victim, nor has anyone approached us saying they have played even the first level of it." The CBI statement followed weeks of news coverage about unconfirmed cases. After being alerted by a youth who received a Momo Challenge invitation, police in West Bengal issued a warning, and the cybercrime unit opened an investigation. The Mumbai police had previously started to warn the population, although no complaints were filed. Police did not confirm any role the Momo Challenge might have played in the death of a girl in grade 10 who committed suicide after leaving a note expressing discouragement with low grades or the suicide of an engineering student in Madras. The Odisha Police, while issuing an advisory asked the media to refrain from publishing unconfirmed reports linking teen death to the Momo Challenge.

Pakistan's Minister of Information Technology announced the government intended to draft legislation making it a crime to distribute both the Momo Challenge and the Blue Whale Challenge.

Police authorities in the Philippines issued warnings to parents to be vigilant of their children's online activity after an 11-year-old boy died from apparent suicide by drug overdose on 11 January 2019, linking the incident to the viral challenge, although no official confirmation of direct relation to the incident has been established by the authorities. In the aftermath of the reports, Raffy Tulfo and other YouTubers voiced their condolences to the family, encouraging that children be monitored by their parents. They also linked the Blue Whale Challenge to the incident.

In France, a group at the State Department was reviewing the situation daily in late July 2018. A complaint was filed in November by a father whose son committed suicide.

In Germany, the police were only aware of mentions made in chain letters. They are asking the population to act prudently when faced with that kind of cell phone contact.

The Luxembourg police confirmed one case on its territory, but no harm was caused.

The Belgian Public Prosecutor's Office reported on 6 November 2018 that a 13-year-old boy had been the victim of the Momo Challenge and hanged himself.[better source needed ]

Spain's National Police warned people to stay away from new "challenge" applications that pop up on WhatsApp, indicating the Momo phenomenon was in vogue among teenagers.

In the United Kingdom, some school administrations relayed warnings about the phenomenon. Reports on and awareness of the alleged challenge rose in February 2019 after the Police Service of Northern Ireland issued a public warning. British authorities say the challenge is being used by cybercriminals to gain personal identity information. Responding to tabloid coverage which asserted the challenge to be true, the NSPCC, the Samaritans, and the UK Safer Internet Centre have issued statements stating that the Momo Challenge is a hoax. The parent who alerted the press to the Momo Challenge subsequently said her child had not received messages from "Momo", but was merely told about it in a school playground conversation. Nevertheless, authorities and the media issued online safety precautions. Nicola Harteveld (who said her son was targeted by the challenge) and clinical psychologist Anna Colton warned on ITV's daytime TV show This Morning not to search for Momo online and advised parents to be aware of their children's activity online.

In the Canadian province of Quebec, local police forces of Longueuil, Sherbrooke and Gatineau indicated that people in their jurisdiction had been approached to participate in the Momo Challenge but did not report any victims. They asked people not to use the phone number provided in the WhatsApp messages and to send screen capture images of their phone to police authorities. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other police forces say they are monitoring the spread of the phenomenon but could not confirm any actual victim.

Mexican authorities investigating Internet crimes distributed detailed information to parents about the methods of the scheme. They suspect it has spread through a Facebook group frequented by young people. They warned those caught in the scheme risked self-harm, hacking and extortion.

In early August 2018 in the United States, various local police forces warned the population about the dangers of the phenomenon. Some jurisdictions have received several complaints, but no jurisdiction reported anybody being harmed. The Momo character has also appeared in the popular game in the form of in-game skins and unofficial mods created by the game's users. A police officer in Ohio was concerned to see Momo in his son's copy of the game, worried about the possibility that the mod could lead to participation in the Momo Challenge. After news reports started to outline the link between the Minecraft mod and the Momo Challenge, Microsoft announced it was taking measures to "restrict access to the mod" in question.

In Argentina, despite several media reports tentatively establishing a relationship between the Momo Challenge and the suicide of a 12-year-old girl from Ingeniero Maschwitz, no link has been confirmed by authorities.

Authorities in Brazil have not confirmed any case linked to the Momo Challenge. The national SaferNet non-profit organization has been approached by concerned parents and warned that this is only one of a variety of schemes to extort money and information from people.

The Colombian police have not confirmed news reports linking the death of two youths in Barbosa to the Momo Challenge in early September.

Early news reports stating the image of Momo was of a sculpture by Japanese artist Midori Hayashi turned out to be incorrect. Hayashi indicated that it was not her piece, and Internet users identified Link Factory, a Japanese special effects company, as the correct author of the sculpture.

The sculpture has bulging eyes and a beak-like mouth. It also had human-like breasts. Pictures of the sculpture were first posted online in 2016, when it was publicly exhibited. The firm denies any involvement with the hoax. Japanese artist Keisuke Aiso confirmed in March 2019 that the sculpture had been thrown away in 2018, after its materials ( natural rubber and plant oils) had decomposed.

Video games based on the Momo Challenge have been published by various independent developers; in July 2018 by SirFatCat and Indie_RU, in August 2018 by Dymchick1 and in October 2018 by Caffeine. The player has to do various tasks and the goal is usually to survive before getting rescued.

The Momo Challenge will be used as a plot device in an upcoming teen horror film called Getaway, produced by Emagine Content, November 11 Pictures, SorenFilms Productions and Lady of the Light Productions. Stef Beaton, Alex Brown, Georgie Storm Waite, Rianne Sensing and Charlotte Spencer will play hapless youths who experience strange phenomena after one of them tells a story about Momo.

In July 2019, Orion Pictures announced the development of a film adaptation, with producers Roy Lee (with his production company Vertigo Entertainment) and Taka Ichise.

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The " Momo Challenge" was a hoax and an Internet urban legend that was rumored to spread through social media and other outlets. It was reported that children and adolescents were being enticed by a user named Momo to perform a series of dangerous tasks including violent attacks, self-harm and suicide.

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National Online Safety tweeted a poster with informative content to ensure online users remain safe from this growing Momo trend

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National Online Safety tweeted a poster with informative content to ensure online users remain safe from this growing Momo trend

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The National Online Safety committee - a committee whose main scope is to educate and provide safety information online - took to twitter to upload a simplified poster about the Momo challenge and how online user can ensure their safety using social platforms. This challenge has many complex rumors and misinformed texts as to what it is and what has resulted from it. The National Online Safety committee took the time to construct a simple to follow poster that can help user understand what this challenge is and steps to take to ensure one's safety. This is an effective way to ensure people are properly informed on this challenge and its severity.

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Reports of casualties due to this challenge 

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Reports of casualties due to this challenge 

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After partaking in this challenge, a 12 year old girl and a 16 year old boy were reported to have killed themselves after participating in the Whatsapp form of the Momo challenge. This incident took place in july of 2018 in the north west Colombian area of Santander. As drastic as this may seem, the casualties don't end there. In August of that same year, two more lives were lost in India through this challenge. 18 year old Manish Sarki and 26 year old Aditi Goyal were found dead exactly one day apart. After police investigated, they found that both individuals had ties to the Momo challenge, which is believed to have costed the life of these two individuals. These deaths soon caught the attention of police districts all around the world. Many took to social media to send out alerts and cautions regarding this challenge to prevent any more casualties

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PARENT ALERT! Whether real or a hoax the disturbing MOMO Challenge asking kids to potentially put their lives in danger has popped up again. Use this opportunity to educate kids on being safe online and that seeing is not always believing #thecandiancentreforchildprotection

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PARENT ALERT! Whether real or a hoax the disturbing MOMO Challenge asking kids to potentially put their lives in danger has popped up again. Use this opportunity to educate kids on being safe online and that seeing is not always believing #thecandiancentreforchildprotection https://t.co/nEaPOIg5Zf

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PARENT ALERT! Whether real or a hoax the disturbing MOMO Challenge asking kids to potentially put their lives in danger has popped up again. Use this opportunity to educate kids on being safe online and that seeing is not always believing #thecandiancentreforchildprotection pic.twitter.com/nEaPOIg5Zf
— OPP East Region (@OPP_ER) February 28, 2019

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PARENT ALERT! Whether real or a hoax the disturbing MOMO Challenge asking kids to potentially put their lives in danger has popped up again. Use this opportunity to educate kids on being safe online and that seeing is not always believing #thecandiancentreforchildprotection https://t.co/nEaPOIg5Zf

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PARENT ALERT! Whether real or a hoax the disturbing MOMO Challenge asking kids to potentially put their lives in danger has popped up again. Use this opportunity to educate kids on being safe online and that seeing is not always believing #thecandiancentreforchildprotection https://t.co/nEaPOIg5Zf

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PARENT ALERT! Whether real or a hoax the disturbing MOMO Challenge asking kids to potentially put their lives in danger has popped up again. Use this opportunity to educate kids on being safe online and that seeing is not always believing #thecandiancentreforchildprotection

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Podcast from "Wired" discussing the topic of the Momo challenge

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Podcast from "Wired" discussing the topic of the Momo challenge

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Wired took out to include this challenge in one of their podcasts. The conversation about this challenge lasts quite a while. They go on to talk about what the Momo challenge is and how the masses are reacting to this challenge. They explain how schools have sent letters home to parents, police have sent out alerts and applications have become more cautious. Wired also talks about how their may be nothing to worry about and how many adults are escalating this situations more than it needs to be. The podcast describes how many people share this challenge without much information about it, and how this creates more bad than it does good. A link of this podcast has been shared to their Facebook and Twitter platforms, which allows this information to be shared with many users online.

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Kim Kardashian shines light on the seriousness of the Momo challenge 

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Kim Kardashian shines light on the seriousness of the Momo challenge 

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Upon circulation of the Momo challenge, celebrities such as kim kardashian stepped in to raise awareness to the public with a message of informance towards social platforms releasing and displaying these videos to the public. She goes on to share the experience of another individual and how the Momo challenge needs to be removed from media outlets. The influence in which celebrities have on events such as this is immense. With such a high following, it allows them to reach their message to the masses, allowing for more of an impact to be made. By simply tagging Youtube in her tweet, Kim Kardashian was able to get a prompt response by the creators of the Youtube platform, stating their views on the matter on how they wish to resolve such an issue.

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Since momo was picked up by national media, search interest has rapidly increased

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Since momo was picked up by national media, search interest has rapidly increased

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Figure 1

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Youtube responds by taking against the Momo challenge

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Youtube responds by taking against the Momo challenge

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The death of the two children linked to the partaking of the Momo challenge in july of 2018 resulted in immediate action being taken by social media platforms, school boards parents and even authorities. Youtube being a major contributing application to the sharing of this challenge has gone on to publicly announce that higher measures will be taken in attempts to take down any content regarding relations to the Momo challenge. Youtube went on to state that they do not support violence and that they will not tolerate the ongoing sharing of such videos. For Youtube to take such measures through social media, it demonstrates to its followers that they are aware of the issue and that action is being taken to resolve the issue.

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We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.

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We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.

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We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.
— YouTube (@YouTube) February 27, 2019

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We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.

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We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.

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We want to clear something up regarding the Momo Challenge: We’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are against our policies.

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Tory Lanez uses Instagram to raise awareness regarding Momo challenge

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Tory Lanez uses Instagram to raise awareness regarding Momo challenge

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After noticing the Momo challenge and what its intentions were, Tory Lanez (an artist in the music industry) took to Instagram to display his thoughts on this challenge and to inform others about it. Being an artist who usually doesn't share these kinds of posts, it was eye opening to many when he made this post, realizing that the Momo challenge was more important than people thought. Tory Lanez goes on to say how he has kids and that challenges like these are disgusting and that parents need to become more informed in order to keep their children safe from challenges like these. Having such a large following, this post easily raised more awareness regarding this matter, showcasing the powerful positive impact that social media platforms can make.

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 The Shade Room on Instagram: "#PressPlay: #ToryLanez warns parents about the #MomoChallenge targeting young children on #YouTube"

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144K likes, 12K comments - theshaderoom on February 27, 2019: "#PressPlay: #ToryLanez warns parents about the #MomoChallenge targeting young children on #YouTube"

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

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People pose with original Momo sculpture after it blows up social media feeds 

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People pose with original Momo sculpture after it blows up social media feeds 

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After realizing the origins of the face behind the Momo figure online, many took it upon themselves to go and take a photo with the actual sculpture in Tokyo, Japan. This soon became a trend as realization of the figure became more evident. Users on social media went from being fearful of this image, to now wanting to take pictures with it. This just goes to show that misinformed masses can completely change what something really is. Now that celebrities, media outlets, police departments and schools have educated online users about this challenge, people have become less fearful of the face of Momo, and have created the trend of uploading selfies with it.

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CTV News - Here's what we know about the 'Momo Challenge'

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CTV News - Here's what we know about the 'Momo Challenge'

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CTV news shared a one minute informative video on their Facebook page soon after the outbreak of this challenge occured. The video is short and to the point, answering the questions many people have regarding this challenge. They go on to answer specific questions such as what this challenge is, what it has caused, and how one could ensure their safety from this challenge. CTV being a fairly large media outlet, attracts many viewers. This allows them to easily spread information on such occurrences and ensure that people are aware of challenges such as this one which could jeopardize their safety through online usage.

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Terrifying stories about the so-called "Momo Challenge" have gone viral on social media this week. Here’s what we know so far. 

Read more here:http://ctv.news/oMsrvDN

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Like many things on the internet, once shared too many times, it becomes a meme. Although there are many recorded casualties through the Momo challenge, many do not believe in it and simply label it as a hoax. Because of this, it has inevitably become a meme through many social media platforms. Although the result of this challenge are nothing to joke about, creation of memes allow people to take a much lighter look towards the situation, which in turn allows them to become more comfortable. A twitter user took on to share a meme that makes displays the skeletal shape of humans and how race and gender makes no difference, and then at the end of the list, they display a funny, distorted skull shape resembling that of the figure of Momo. Although the Momo challenge has sparked conversation about fear, it has also become a funny meme to many platforms over social media.

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Here’s another momo meme pic.twitter.com/A8Utxi2Bsq
— Dumbass (@SomeWeirdTrash) March 18, 2019