Back in May, the creator of the original Blue Whale Game, Philipp Budeikin, was arrested for inciting the suicides of at least 16 school girls. Yesterday, however, Ilya Sidorov was arrested for being behind a similar suicide “game.” It’s terrifying to think that these types of “games” are becoming more popular. We certainly hope that no one else decides to create one, but here are some ways to keep your family safe in case another one pops up.
Parenting in the 21st century has become a daunting task for many parents. There are just so many influences that kids have to deal with each day and many stem from the internet. You can have your eyes on your kid for pretty much the whole day but it’s really hard to know who they are talking to and why. This concern has been growing even more with the current craze known as the Blue Whale challenge.
What is the Blue Whale Game?
The game is targeting children between the ages of 10 and 14 years old. It directs the teenagers to undergo a series of challenges. It starts with simple things like walking in the dark, self-harming, and cutting shapes into their skin, until it reaches a point where the victims are challenged to contemplate the idea of death and suicide. It is a sick game and you can see why whoever created it is targeting teenagers. Teens between these ages are very vulnerable and they are in a period where they are starting to find their place in the society.
A lot of things can be confusing. Taking the mind of a teenage girl or a teenage boy and twisting it is easy. The Blue Whale challenge is all about this and even though it started in Russia, it has already made its way in many countries around the world. And yes, it has almost claimed some lives. The troubling story of an 18-year-old Ukrainian girl who threw herself off a bridge after playing the suicide challenge caught the attention of many people. Even though she miraculously didn’t die, she was seriously injured. Police have been quick to warn parents about the dangers of this sick online game and it is indeed time for parents to take charge.
How Can You Protect Your Child from this Sick Game?
As a parent, you always want to protect your child. Anything that could bring possible risk of danger to your kid can instantly trigger parental instincts that may outweigh logic. The Blue Whale game is one of these things and you need to protect your child the most effective way possible. Here are some tips to help you.
Know What Your Kid Is Doing Online
It’s okay for kids to go to Facebook, Twitter, and all those other social media sites. However, you have to make sure you know what they are doing there. There are many spy apps these days that you can install on your child’s phone to track their online activity. You can also check browser history and see what they’ve been up to.
Pay Attention to Your Child
The Blue Whale challenge is a game that starts with simple things but it takes advantage of the child’s innocence to push them to the limit. Pay attention to your child and try to see if you notice any changes. If your kid appears disturbed or depressed, you need to get involved and solve the issue. If something is raised by teachers at school, don’t be dismissive. Try and dig in and see what you can uncover.
Get a Content Filter
If your kid uses his or her device at home, you need to get a content filter software that allows you to restrict what your child can access online. Make sure this game is banned. Try and set up parental control on your home network to ensure you can monitor and control what your children are accessing online. Even though many parents have already done this, you need to be more vigilant just to make sure that there aren’t any loopholes from which such content can be accessed at home.
The Blue Whale challenge has been slowly but surely spreading across the world and police departments in many countries are stepping up their game to warning parents about it. Do not take any chances with this. There are already suicide cases in Russia involving teens that are being investigated for a possible link with this game.
