# data[].attributes.body
Keisuke Aiso is a Japanese artist who is the creator of this famous culture "MOMO". He made a silicone sculpture three years ago just as a collection for his artworks and near expected his artwork to turn out this way after so many years. His artwork back at that time did not receive much fame and made him want to dispose it. Keisuke was surprised to know his made artwork has went so far and turned out to be this harmful. He said, " I have a small child myself so I can understand how parents are concerned". He even mentioned that at this point he is confused if he should be proud of his work or not after getting so much recognition however effecting negatively on others.

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Cursing your timeline with sculptures by Keisuke Aiso, the Japanese artist who inadvertently created the 'Momo Challenge' https://t.co/01LuHgwAzW

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Cursing your timeline with sculptures by Keisuke Aiso, the Japanese artist who inadvertently created the 'Momo Challenge' https://t.co/01LuHgwAzW https://t.co/1iIxUKVfPN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Cursing your timeline with sculptures by Keisuke Aiso, the Japanese artist who inadvertently created the 'Momo Challenge' https://t.co/01LuHgwAzW pic.twitter.com/1iIxUKVfPN
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) March 9, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Cursing your timeline with sculptures by Keisuke Aiso, the Japanese artist who inadvertently created the 'Momo Challenge' https://t.co/01LuHgwAzW https://t.co/1iIxUKVfPN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Cursing your timeline with sculptures by Keisuke Aiso, the Japanese artist who inadvertently created the 'Momo Challenge' https://t.co/01LuHgwAzW https://t.co/1iIxUKVfPN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Cursing your timeline with sculptures by Keisuke Aiso, the Japanese artist who inadvertently created the 'Momo Challenge' https://t.co/01LuHgwAzW

# data[].attributes.headline
Social Media Organizations Taking Actions

# data[].attributes.subject
Social Media Organizations Taking Actions

# data[].attributes.body
This article states Instagram has took out three accounts which had disturbing and self harming videos. There is a lot positive about these accounts getting removed. People get more aware and look out for it not to be anywhere around their kids. Maybe those three accounts weren't just enough and I could tell theirs hundred others whose trying to prank people. This has to be stopped and it seems like social media is performing well in taking actions against it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The video prompts children to contact a fictional character named Momo by calling or texting strangers' phone numbers. "Momo" then gives them dangerous challenges and sends horrifying messages. Northern Ireland Police have reported they are liaising with other UK Police Services to identify the extent of the problem and hopefully deal with the issue.

Detective Sergeant Elaine McCormill told The Daily Telegraph: "This extremely disturbing challenge conceals itself within other harmless-looking games or videos played by children and when downloaded.

"It asks the user to communicate with 'Momo' via popular messaging applications such as WhatsApp.

"It is at this point that children are threatened that they will be cursed or their family will be hurt if they do not self-harm."
READ MORE: Momo challenge WARNING: 'Suicide game' targeting kids run by HACKERS
One mother told the paper her daughter felt "sick and terrified" after watching the videos.

She said: "She started screaming and saying 'I haven't seen anything'.

"She immediately went into a state of holding her ears and telling me not to say anything.

"I've watched the videos and it's horrible. They disguise it and it's sick.

"She is terrified. They tell the kids to keep it secret and if they say anything they will come get your parents instead."

A YouTube spokesman said: "YouTube's Community Guidelines prohibit content that's intended to encourage dangerous activities that have an inherent risk of physical harm or death.

"We remove flagged videos that violate our policies."

Instagram, which has 100 million accounts, has said it has deleted three accounts involved in promoting Momo.

An Instagram spokesman said: "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the people who use Instagram.

"Content or accounts that encourage others to harm themselves are not allowed and we will remove them as soon as we are made aware.

"We encourage anyone who comes across anything like this to report it and we have a team working 24/7 who prioritise reports related to self-harm."
For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 or visit a local Samaritans branch.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Momo challenge: Instagram has removed just THREE accounts of horrific self-harm videos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The video prompts children to contact a fictional character named Momo by calling or texting strangers' phone numbers. "Momo" then gives them dangerous challenges and sends horrifying messages. Northern Ireland Police have reported they are liaising with other UK Police Services to identify the extent of the problem and hopefully deal with the issue.

# data[].attributes.body
Recently the Momo challenge has reached a level where it took live of three innocent teens just like how the blue whale challenge got in their head. This article shows the first victim was a 12 year old from Argentina where she hanged herself. Later this led to take away two more lives. One was Manish Sarki (18) on August 20 and Aditi Goyal (26) on the next day from India. This has gone too far that it even led an adult sacrifice his live.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The ominous suicide challenge "Momo" has been spreading on WhatsApp, making the police to warn parents about the dangerous game that is popular among kids and teenagers.
Keep on reading Nexter.org to know more.

Source: AP

The game is not over yet

"Momo" is a viral challenge that asks people to add a contact in WhatsApp (messaging app), then they have to harm themselves or to commit suicide. It's similar to "Blue Whale challenge," a social media group that encourages people to kill themselves, that led to multiple suicides in Russia and US.

"Momo challenge" is associated with the creepy cropped image of a sculpture of a woman with huge bulging eyes, ominous smile and Risoung-girl-like black hair.

Source: Getty

One of the first known victims of the deadly game was a 12-year-old girl in the district of Escobar. She died in an apparent suicide in Argentina, The Buenos Aires Times reports. The girl captured herself on camera before hanging herself.

It is alleged that the Momo Challenge has claimed two more lives in India - Manish Sarki (18) on August 20 and Aditi Goyal (26) the next day. Police suspect that both of them were into the online killer game which led them to take the ultimate step.

Source: ladunliadinews

"It is a growing menace and we are getting reports of an increasing number of people, mostly youths, getting an invitation on their WhatsApp from unidentified numbers to play the 'game'," the official said. Preliminary investigation has revealed that people who have shown the slightest sign of depression or a desire to commit suicide were targeted.

See also, latest tips from the police every parent should know to save their kids:

Latest attempt to commit suicide was made by a 15-year-old Ukrainian girl. A school-girl tried to end her life with pills overdose but doctors successfully saved her life. However, the girls still stay in a hospital in critical condition.

Once again, Nexter.org reminds you that Momo challenge is extremely dangerous so watch the video to know 5 simple tips that will help you understand your kids and make sure they aren't the part of Momo ' suicide challenge.'

MORE HOT NEWS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New Victims of Momo Challenge: Deadliest Game Takes Lives of Children Worldwide - Death Toll Has Risen to 3 Already

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ominous suicide challenge "Momo" has been spreading on WhatsApp, making the police to warn parents about the dangerous game that is popular among kids and teenagers. Keep on reading Nexter.org to know more.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a very sensitive video posted back in October, 2017. Posted by Youtuber named RyVer Lure. This video has a creepy theme and a horror movie music playing at the back. Shows all kind of stuff that will disgust oneself. Kids must not get their hands on to this clip. This is a video from the kids favorite show Peppa Pig, where it shows one of the characters head is on a table and other characters from the show stabbing and shooting off the head. Personally, I would prefer this clip removed from YouTube. These type of clip brings so much negativity onto children.

# data[].attributes.headline
MOMO Challenge appearing in between cartoons

# data[].attributes.subject
MOMO Challenge appearing in between cartoons

# data[].attributes.body
Youtuber named RoosterxBros has shown in his video how young children are getting distracted by the creepy momo challenge videos in between their cartoon shows. And the message that is being send over the creepy video is "Momo is going to kill you". For most of the kids it is terrifying thus it brings fear in their mind. The Youtuber has also mentioned this video has sensitive topics and parents much watch this in order to protect their kids from falling into the worst situation with this Momo challenge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Momo Challenge & Creepy Peppa Pig Videos PROOF? (PARENTS WATCH THIS)

# data[].attributes.headline
Kim Kardashain's Involvement against Momo

# data[].attributes.subject
Kim Kardashain's Involvement against Momo

# data[].attributes.body
Celebrities like Kim Kardashain has took part be raise consciousness among parents and teenagers on the Momo challenge. Being one of the most followed celebrity on social media, helps the message spread to people quick. Teenagers specially keeping track of model social media account and once they get to know about these deadly activities. And surprisingly teenagers teen to trust celebrities more that anyone. Kim posted on her Instagram story reaching out to YouTube for help in taking this out. Also the singer Kehlani has posted addressing the parents to spread the message.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Earlier today, we reported that the momo challenge which is targeting children and promoting self-harm and violence.

Now, celebrities are speaking out urging parents to keep an eye out for what their children are watching.

Related: Mother Warns Parents About "Momo Challenge" After Son Was Told To Stab Himself By Creepy Character

Kim Kardashian, a mother of soon to be four children took to her Instagram where she has over 120 million followers to share a post from a mother on Facebook.

The post read;

" Beware, this was just sent to me, what's being inserted into YouTube kids. Monitor what your kids are watching"

She even goes on to tag Youtube's Instagram account in the posts.

Singer Kehlani also took to her Twitter page posting a story about it including pictures of the various characters the momo challenge is being sent through. The soon to be a mother herself sent out the tweet saying

parents, PLEASE READ. https://t.co/xACcGFTAF1

- Kehlani (@Kehlani) February 27, 2019

Youtube did respond thanking Kim for notifying them about the impact this is having. They also released a statement saying;

"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."

Related: YouTube Bans 'Dangerous' Prank And Challenge Videos

The company said that videos discussing and educating people about Momo are allowed, but thumbnail images featuring the character are not allowed on the YouTube Kids app.

As of now, there have been no deaths linked to this challenge in the United States.

Parents, please be mindful of what your children are watching online!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Celebrities React To The Momo Challenge And Are Calling Out YouTube

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Earlier today, we reported that the momo challenge which is targeting children and promoting self-harm and violence. Now, celebrities are speaking out urging parents to keep an eye out for what their children are watching.

# data[].attributes.body
Blue Whale Challenge was something similar to the Momo Challenge. Blue Whale challenge encouraged people to do tasks that includes harming themselves and eventually take their own life. This challenge harmed many people's life. Mostly effected the teenagers. This challenge originated from Russia where a teenager named Rina Palenkova in the year November, 2015 killed herself. On December of 2015, same incident happened with two other young girls on a Christmas day in Russia. Later their parents found out these two girls were in an online group where they had mentioned blue whale challenge several time, so as pictures of the teenager Rina.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The "Blue Whale challenge" was reported to be an online "suicide game" aimed at teenagers which set 50 tasks over 50 days. The challenge was alleged to be linked to numerous deaths around the world. But little about the "game" was quite as it seemed.

The first tasks were fairly innocuous: "Wake up in the middle of the night" or "Watch a scary film". But day by day, the tasks grew more sinister.

"Stand on the ledge of a tower block."

"Cut a whale into your arm."

The final challenge? A demand that the user kill themselves.

The challenge was alleged to have started in Russia, but reports of it soon spread to other countries: Ukraine, India and the United States.

Hundreds of deaths were reported to be linked to the so-called "suicide game".

But closer investigation has revealed something curious. The game, at least as it was initially reported, doesn't seem to have existed at all.

Origin story

The story of the Blue Whale challenge began with Rina Palenkova.

On 22 November 2015, Rina, a teenager living in south-eastern Russia, posted a selfie.

In the photo she is standing outside. A black scarf is wrapped around her mouth and nose. She is sticking her middle finger up at the camera. It looks like it's covered in dried blood.

The photo's caption read: "Nya bye". The next day, she took her own life.

Rina Palenkova's death was discussed in a certain type of chat room hosted by Russia's largest social network VKontakte. These forums were places where teenagers met to talk about everyday things like school and which classmates they fancied, as well as darker subject matter: depression, loneliness and suicide.

Scary stories were exchanged. The spookiness of these stories came from how real they seemed, something often achieved through fake pictures or doctored footage.

It is the online equivalent of the claim made by classic horror films that they are "based on true events". Because at the heart of any good ghost story is a sliver of plausibility.

It was in these groups, where the line between fact and fiction was often blurred, that users posted feverishly about Rina. In some instances, they lauded her for ending her life. Videos purporting to be her final moments were posted online.

But amid the rumours, there was a problem.

"Nobody actually knew the true story behind her suicide," says Daria Radchenko, a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration who has looked into the so-called Blue Whale challenge.

And shortly thereafter, Rina's story merged with other stories of teenage suicide.

On Christmas Day 2015, 12-year-old Angelina Davydova killed herself in the Russian city of Ryazan. A little over a fortnight later, so did Diana Kuznetsova, a teenager from the same city.

When the parents examined the online accounts left behind by their daughters, they found something curious - the two girls were part of similar online groups.

In these groups were drawings of Rina Palenkova, posts about suicide and numerous mentions of blue whales.

Why blue whales?

There has been much speculation about how whales became linked to suicide in these groups. Some journalists claim it is because whales have been known to beach themselves, a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists. Others say that it is a reference to lyrics from a Russian rock band named Lumen.

It's difficult, of course, to say why certain images particularly resonate. Whales are solitary-seeming, sad-looking animals. They make for good memes. One of the most widely shared images was of a whale flying over a city at night. It captured the spirit of these groups - melancholy and quietly surreal.

But it wasn't until May 2016 that speculation about blue whales and suicide became part of the national conversation in Russia.

An article by journalist Galina Mursalieva in Novaya Gazeta, an investigative newspaper, sent the story into overdrive.

Mursalieva suggested that inside certain online groups, some of them with enigmatic names like "Ocean Whales" and "f57", existed a game.

In this game, so-called "curators" would set players 50 tasks over 50 days. On the last day the user was instructed to take their own life.

The Novaya Gazeta report estimated that 130 children might have killed themselves between November 2015 and April 2016 because of their participation in these groups. It would come to be known worldwide as the Blue Whale challenge.

It did not take long for the story to cause considerable alarm. The governor for Ulyanovsk in western Russia went on television to compare the Blue Whale challenge to the Islamic State group.

Soon the panic spread outside Russia. In Georgia, US, a 16-year-old girl killed herself. It was only later when her family had learned about the Blue Whale challenge that they realised the significance of the metre-high paintings she had finished at school shortly before she died.

They appeared to be of blue whales.

Then came other suicides: a boy named Isaiah Gonzalez, also in the United States, a 19-year-old in Hyderabad in India, and two Russian girls, Yulia Konstantinova and Veronika Volkova. A few days before she died, Konstantinova had posted an image of a blue whale on her Instagram account.

The suspect

In November 2016, 21-year-old Philipp Budeikin was arrested, charged with inciting teenagers to suicide.

Budeikin appeared to admit culpability. He told Russian media outlet Saint-Petersburg.ru: "There are people, and then there is biodegradable waste. I was cleansing our society of such people. Sometimes I start to think that it's wrong, but in the end I had the feeling I was doing the right thing."

He liked computers and was an aspiring producer of "witch house", an electronic music genre with occult themes. A former psychology student, the impression given by the media was that he had used highly developed tactics to manipulate teenagers into killing themselves.

He said he had created the game in 2013 under the name "f57", combining the sound of the start of his name, Philipp, and the last two digits of his phone number. On 10 May 2017 he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.

'Shivers on my skin'

It seemed like an open-and-shut case. Further investigation, however, has revealed that little about the Blue Whale challenge was quite as straightforward as it seemed.

Evgeny Berg was on his way to work when he first read about the Vkontakte chat rooms.

"It made a strong impression on me. It was May but it was very gloomy. I thought 'Oh my God, there is a man out there who is trying to kill a lot of children in Russia.' And I felt shivers on my skin."

Berg, an investigative journalist at Meduza, a Russian-language independent media organisation, decided to dig deeper. His research took him to Sergey Pestov, the father of one of the girls who died around Christmas 2015.

After his daughter's death, Pestov and his wife founded an organisation called Saving Children from Cybercrime. They produced a brochure. It implied that foreign intelligence might be to blame for their daughter's death and that operatives were destroying the Russian people by inciting their children to suicide.

Pestov became a key source of statistics for the original Novaya Gazeta piece.

"He used media sources and open sources to count a bunch of cases all over Russia which were, in his opinion, connected with suicide groups," says Evgeny Berg. "And this number was 130."

This is the same number that was first quoted in the Novaya Gazeta piece. "So that's where the number started" says Berg, "with the father of a girl who tragically died at the end of 2015."

In a story shrouded in rumour and hearsay, this 130 figure is one of the very few widely reported "facts". But even though it is still being used by many news outlets, the figure is tenuous. According to Evgeny Berg and Meduza, it originates with a parent trying to unravel the reasons behind a personal tragedy.

The Novaya Gazeta article has been viewed over one and a half million times, according to the paper.

Reporter responds

We took Evgeny Berg's allegations - that the foundations of the Novaya Gazeta article were, at best, unsteady - directly to the reporter, Galina Mursalieva. She rejected the claim that her report relied on a single flawed statistic.

"This number 130 wasn't based on the conclusions of one father who lost his child," says Mursalieva. "No. This is absolutely wrong. It was based on the conclusions of over 200 parents who lost their children. The father of the girl who died just helped during that period of time. I don't have any reason not to trust them. I checked many things."

Mursalieva had worked on the story for months and included interviews with the parents of deceased children and experts in law and psychology. She says she published it because she wanted to spur into action investigators who she thought weren't taking the problem seriously enough.

But despite the considerable column inches dedicated to the "challenge" over the years, not a single suicide has so far been proved to be linked to these groups, neither by journalists nor police.

"There have actually been way more than 130 cases," claims Mursalieva. "But tell me - who could confirm that this happened? How can it be confirmed?"

That seems to be the crux of it. How can the cause of a suicide ever be "proved"? It might be more accurate to say that teenagers suffering from depression, some of them suicidal, could be drawn to groups that deal with that topic. These same children may use similar images, like blue whales, to articulate their feelings online.

Blue Whale: Fact or Fiction?

With its surreal memes and creepy stories that blur fact and fiction, the subculture of teenage messaging boards is easy for adults to misinterpret. It is possible that journalists and concerned parents accessed these groups and brought together disparate elements into a story that wasn't really there.

That reading tallies with the findings of Alexandra Arkhipova, a professor in Folklore Studies at the Russian State University for the Humanities. When she and her colleagues entered the online groups alleged to be connected with the Blue Whale challenge, they found something strange.

"All of these 'curators'," says Arkhipova, "turned out to be children aged 12 to 14."

Far from being manipulative adults, all the curators seemed to be just kids who had read or heard about the game. In fact, Arkhipova's research suggests that the "challenge" might not have really existed in any substantial way before the Novaya Gazeta article was published.

Arkhipova says that the "curators" she came across online were copycats, acting out step by step the parts of a game that was being widely reported in the press.

"In all these groups people, mainly young people, were waiting for this game," says Arkhipova. "This game never starts."

Prisoner

But where does that leave the story of Philipp Budeikin, the man who confessed to creating the game? Oddly, it might have something to do with his music career.

Friends of Budeikin, speaking to the investigative journalist Evgeny Berg, disputed the claim that he is an evil mastermind.

In fact, they say that he filled online groups with "shock" content related to Rina Palenkova and suicide in order to get as many followers as possible - and then advertise his music.

It is a common practice on VKontakte, where people exploit access to a large amount of followers to advertise other projects or sell products.

When Budeikin was arrested, there were 15 charges against him. By the following month, all but one had collapsed.

The truth at the heart of the Blue Whale challenge is surely both more sad and more mundane than the breathless articles might have us believe. Russia's suicide rates are high especially among the young. It has one of the highest rates of adolescent suicide in the world.

Yes, some teenagers appear to have been drawn into online forums where suicide was being discussed. And in those forums, blue whale memes were being shared. But the idea of a sinister game, one that slowly roped in vulnerable teens and led them down an increasingly tortured path to suicide, seems to be a simplistic explanation for a complex problem.

There is no silver bullet for tackling suicide amongst teenagers. Nor is there a bogeyman that can be locked up to prevent it.

Do you have a story for us? Email BBC Trending.

With reporting by Olga Robinson, BBC Monitoring

If you need support for mental health issues, advice is available via the BBC Action Line.

People's dependence on smartphones and modern technology could bring about the coming of the Antichrist, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has warned. READ NOW

You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Blue Whale: What is the truth behind an online 'suicide challenge'?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The "Blue Whale challenge" was reported to be an online "suicide game" aimed at teenagers which set 50 tasks over 50 days. The challenge was alleged to be linked to numerous deaths around the world. But little about the "game" was quite as it seemed.

# data[].attributes.headline
Parents should be aware of this challenge

# data[].attributes.subject
Parents should be aware of this challenge

# data[].attributes.body
Parents should be conscious about what their children are doing in their free time. Technology has reached in a level where young kids are having access to technological devices from the very beginning of their childhood. Makes them want to explore tons of stuffs. Often they get into a situation where they get to view things that is not appropriate which affects their mind or way of thinking.  MOMO Challenge is one of those mentioned in this article. Parents should be taking significant steps as follows;

Investigate: see if it’s real

Help your child investigate authenticity

Explore alternatives for viewing

Avoid causing unnecessary alarm

Be a critical, alert consumer

What if you think a threat is genuine?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's a parent's responsibility to protect their children from harm, no matter where that threat of harm comes from. But what if the threat is a hoax?

We've seen recently a rollercoaster of panic from parents trying to protect their kids from a supposed online threat known as the Momo challenge, that has for months been debunked as a hoax.

Yet the panic from parents continued, as did reports in the media and even warnings from celebrites - all of which could have been avoided if parents had done a few simple checks before raising the alarm.

So how can you as a parent protect your children (and yourself) from falling for these hoaxes if you don't even know whether something is not a genuine threat in the first place?

Before I give some help and advice on that, let's look at this latest hoax: the Momo challenge.

The Momo challenge

Momo is a ghoulish character who is said to use social media and other online tools to encourage youngsters to complete dangerous tasks involving self-harm.

But the whole Momo challenge is a manufactured myth.

The creepy image was copied from a sculpture by Japanese special-effects company Link Factory. Its use in the hoax was condemned by its original artist several months ago.

Even this revelation did not stop the spread - of both the hoax and the warnings about it - continuing for several months afterwards.

The Momo challenge is just the latest in a series of manufactured online hoaxes designed to generate paranoia among adults.

Other online hoaxes

We've had the "blue whale challenge", allegedly linked to numerous teen deaths around the world. The trend later turned out to be a fake.

We were told the deadly TidePod challenge was encouraging kids to be filmed while eating poisonous laundry detergent pods ( they weren't).

There was also a challenge that linked kids choking to death to snorting condoms for more YouTube likes ( no deaths have been reported).

These hoaxes are carefully designed to grab your attention and incite shock and panic, so you share the information with everyone you know. The designers of the hoax callously tap directly into parents' Achilles heel: their fears regarding their children's safety.

Posting the hoax online fits the designer's aim perfectly because it can travel far and wide online very quickly. This is of course a win from the perpetrators' perspective, whose very aim is to go viral! The more attention they get, the more profit or fame.

What parents should do to help protect your kids from such hoaxes

Hoaxes that threaten your kids one day, and turn out to be fake the next, are mentally and emotionally exhausting for kids and adults. Parents can feel an increasing lack of control.

But this doesn't need to be the case. There are tools and tricks you can apply to help you spot a hoax.

1. Investigate: see if it's real

Information about any so-called challenge is often shared on social media, where fake news and misleading information is rife.

If you are concerned about a hoax it's important to investigate, by using a reputable news website or a reliable fact-checking site such as Snopes or FullFact.

Both are good fact-checking resources that gives readers evidence-based analysis ( Snopes and FullFact have both published content on Momo).

Even a simple web search of the name of any supposed threat can help you. Add the words "hoax" or "scam" to your search queries and you will very quickly see if there is any real evidence to support the claims of harm you may be hearing about.

2. Help your child investigate authenticity

Use the opportunity to educate your child about these online challenges. When you hear about one, go online with your child and investigate.

This is the perfect opening to help your child understand fake content online. Explain why someone would want to start a hoax to scare people (for example, to achieve fame).

3. Explore alternatives for viewing

You may be concerned about your child using online video streaming services such as YouTube or Facebook, where they could be exposed to any hoax video.

As an alternative, look for other ways for your children to view their favoured content.

Many of the popular shows that kids watch online also have their own apps with pre-screened videos: for example PBS kids videos and Disney Channel app.

4. Avoid causing unnecessary alarm

It's important to be careful about sharing news articles that perpetuate a hoax or myth with other adults.

Before sharing potentially wrong information, do some internet research of your own to check out the accuracy of any threat.

5. Be a critical, alert consumer

We live our lives on the internet, and there is a mass of misleading online information designed to manipulate our thinking.

It's important to read and stay up to date about how the online world operates, and to be critical of what you view and read online.

Ask yourself some basic questions such as:

who is going to benefit from this online post/article?

what is the underlying purpose of it?

is the author/creator trying to sway my thinking, and why?

6. What if you think a threat is genuine?

Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms have options to report anything you think may be a serious threat. If you're still worried, call your local police.

The online space is always changing. Keeping you and your kids safe online involves being aware of emerging and new safety issues, and committing to a bit of research before you panic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Don't fall for it: a parent's guide to protecting your kids from online hoaxes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's a parent's responsibility to protect their children from harm, no matter where that threat of harm comes from. But what if the threat is a hoax? We've seen recently a rollercoaster of panic from parents trying to protect their kids from a supposed online threat known as the Momo challenge, that has for months been debunked as a hoax.

# data[].attributes.body
TDSB recently send a letter to parents notifying about the Momo challenge and how its spreading. Due to this disturbing character many children have been terrified and schools were concerned about the situation. Fear was growing and safety was required at this state and school committees have took the right steps to look after the situation. Schools and everyone else wants this devastating hoax to be out of their community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Amid concerns about the Momo Challenge hoax, the Toronto District School Board sent out a letter to parents warning about the importance of online safety.

The letter, dated March 1, reads: "While we would never want to perpetuate a hoax, given the significant amount of media coverage and the number of questions we are receiving from staff, parents and students, we felt this was an opportunity to remind parents and children about online safety in today's digital world."

The Momo Challenge features a creature with an unusually large smile and dark, matted hair who encourages children to harm themselves and family members. (Twitter)

The Momo Challenge began circulating last week online, depicting viral videos of creepy creatures that instruct children to isolate and harm themselves and family members. The videos feature a monster resembling the mother from Coraline, with an unusually wide grin, matted black hair and sunken eyes bulging out of its skin. The creature encourages kids to engage in dangerous actions, like turning on stoves or stabbing themselves in the neck.

For all the hysteria, there appears to be no answer to how many of these videos actually exist or who's behind them - but it has police and parents' attention.

The creature, whose origins can be traced back to Japanese special-effects company Link Factory, was created by artist Keisuke Aisawa and was previously displayed in Tokyo's Vanilla Gallery. The sculpture, called Mother Bird, was first pictured as early as 2016, revealing birdlike claw legs where the sculpture's body should be.

Fear of the challenge has been growing in Ontario, and on Thursday the OPP took to social media to "educate kids on being safe online."

But for the time being, the challenge is believed to be a hoax, and none of the Toronto, Peel, York or Durham regional police forces have received any reports of anybody causing harm as a result of these videos.

On Wednesday, YouTube released a statement addressing the Momo Challenge sightings, and said the media platform has seen "no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube." The company praised Twitter users for "debunking" the challenge in a separate tweet.

In its letter, the TDSB asks parents to talk to their kids about the implications of sending out inappropriate information, photos or videos, keep the computer in an open space, and reminds them not to give out their personal information to strangers.

Richard Lachman, assistant professor at Ryerson University's RTA School of Media, says that the Momo Challenge and the fear revolving around it is a modern version of "media panic."

"Parents don't really understand the influence that technology has on their kids or how their kids are spending their time with technology," said Lachman.

He said that information, especially on social media, spreads fast but not all of it is accurate. He said parents and their children might not have the resources or time to fact-check or monitor what is real and what is considered a hoax - in this case the Momo Challenge.

For parents who want to be involved in what their children are consuming, Lachman says they can provide access to technology in public areas, either in the living room or the kitchen, so their activity is visible and monitored.

With older children and teenagers, Lachman says it can become more difficult to monitor what they consume online because they have a phone and it travels with them everywhere. In this case, Lachman says conversations about what their kids are consuming is necessary.

"Parents can't keep their kids safe from everything because they're not with them everywhere so we have to have conversations," says Lachman.

"When we talk, it has to be about building trust and making it clear that not everything kids read or see online is real."

Emerald Bensadoun is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @twerk_vonnegut

Marjan Asadullah is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marjanasadullah

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Momo Challenge' hoax prompts TDSB letter to parents about online safety | The Star

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amid concerns about the Momo Challenge hoax, the Toronto District School Board sent out a letter to parents warning about the importance of online safety.

# data[].attributes.body
Internet challenges are the worst thing that could happen over the internet. They often turn out to be dangerous and harmful. One of the other challenge that recently has gained popularity is "Kiki Challenge" from Drake's music Kiki. In this challenge, people jumped out of their car while on acceleration and started to go with the beats and dance it off or either stunts. This has caused tons of accidents and damage to people. This was one of the dumbest challenge and thankfully came to an end.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
And a million reasons to never try them.

Internet challenges are one of the quickest ways to become famous ... and dead.

So many of these trends are extremely dangerous and can lead to bodily harm of the self and others.

There were many internet challenges I could have chosen to complete this list, but the following stunts caused either the highest number of or the most serious injuries.

1. The "In My Feelings"/Kiki Challenge

Jumping out of a moving car, regardless of speed, is only acceptable if you are the star of an action movie. Given that most of the general public are not professional stuntmen, the premise of the "In My Feelings"/Kiki challenge could only end in disaster.

This latest internet challenge has young people hopping out of moving cars just to do a little dance to one of Drake's freshest tracks, the titular "In My Feelings."

I should not have to explain what makes the new viral trend so dangerous. The challenge involves a heavy motor vehicle with a distracted or even an absent driver, depending on how daring (read: stupid) the participants decided to be. Not only does this decision put the safety of the dancers at risk, but also anyone else who happens to be on the road.

Luckily for 22-year-old Jaylen Norwood, the other driver was his best friend and only drove 15 mph. Even though things didn't go as planned (Norwood was knocked down by the vehicle just as he slipped on a wet spot), the result was only a few scraped elbows and a bruised ego.

Unfortunately, 18-year-old Anna Worden did not escape the clutches of Kiki unscathed. As she jumped out of the car, Worden tripped and fell and hit her head, causing her skull to fracture, bleeding in her brain and blood clots in her ear.

Thankfully, Worden is conscious and able to speak, but now she must relearn how to walk, all because of a reckless challenge that even celebrities are endorsing.

2. The Fire Challenge

Even cavemen learned to understand that you should not play with fire, so why are people in the 21st century still ending up in the hospital because they purposely set themselves aflame?

You heard me. The objective of the fire challenge is to apply flammable liquids to your body and then set yourself on fire. Whether the purpose is to test pain endurance or just to impress some friends, people tend to record the action and post it to social media.

The first known video of this outrageously dangerous internet challenge was uploaded in 2012, but a handful of fools attempt the stunt every once in a while.

In 2014, 16-year-old Fernando Valencia doused himself in nail polish remover and flicked a lighter, subsequently giving himself second- and third-degree burns on his neck and waist.

After recovering in the hospital, Valencia posted a video on YouTube describing the incident and the excruciating pain. He also warns people not to take part in the Fire Challenge as he reveals his scars (Warning: kinda graphic).

Not every participant tries the challenge just to gain internet fame. Some unlucky few burn themselves alive simply because they are curious and do not know any better.

On Aug. 17, 12-year-old Timiyah Landers suffered severe burns sustained on 49 percent of her body when her friends convinced her to attempt the fire challenge after seeing videos on the internet.

Timiyah's mother, Brandi Owens, says that instead of starting seventh grade with her peers, her daughter will need ventilators, feeding tubes and surgeries for at least the next few months.

Owens hopes that websites like YouTube will crack down on videos related to these dangerous internet challenges so that no child or parent ever has to endure what her family is going through.

3. The Choking Game/The Pass-Out Challenge/Space Monkey Challenge

This challenge goes by many names, but the goal is always to intentionally cut off oxygen to the brain long enough to obtain a brief moment of euphoria and sometimes loss of consciousness.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accumulated enough evidence to claim that between 1995 and 2008, at least 82 youths, with the average age being 13, have died in the United States as a result of the game.

Since 2008, there have been numerous deaths caused by this risky method of getting high, including 16-year-old Jack Servi, 12-year-old Tua Muai and 12-year-old Erik Robinson, whose mother consequently founded Erik's Cause, "a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangers of pass-out activities."

Go play a sport, ride a rollercoaster, have a good laugh: there are so many other, safer ways to get high naturally than these internet challenges.

4. The Cinnamon Challenge

I know cinnamon is delicious, but is swallowing a spoonful of the spice really worth potentially giving yourself emphysema?

In 2012, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received 222 calls related to the Cinnamon Challenge, which left kids with throat irritation, respiratory issues and even collapsed lungs.

Sixteen-year-old Dejah Reed was one of many teenagers who were hospitalized for a collapsed lung after trying the cinnamon challenge. She must also now use an inhaler to control asthma she never had before the incident.

Even though 4-year-old Matthew Radar was not participating in the cinnamon challenge, his mother, Brianna, says that Matthew's accidental asphyxiation and death after inhaling cinnamon powder can be used as a cautionary tale to deter kids from attempting the internet trend.

5. Salt and Ice Challenge

You kids and your obsession with burning yourselves.

This insidious internet challenge has tricked many young people into damaging and scarring parts of their bodies because it sounds so easy: You put salt on your skin, then place ice on top of it and try to see how long you can withstand the cold.

But according to Dr. Marc Jeschke, director of the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, "If you overcome the original feeling of pain, that's not because you're tougher or stronger, it's because the nerve endings have been destroyed. Sometimes, that nerve destruction can be permanent, along with scarring on the skin."

Just google "salt and ice challenge," and you will be met with hundreds of gruesome and disgusting aftermaths. Or don't, and spare yourself the trauma.

If you haven't already figured out the lesson behind these internet challenges: Don't be an idiot.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Caitlyn Conville, Bergen Community College

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 5 Most Dangerous Internet Challenges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
And a million reasons to never try them. Internet challenges are one of the quickest ways to become famous ... and dead. So many of these trends are extremely dangerous and can lead to bodily harm of the self and others.