There is a scourge from Russia that seems to have incredible influence over some Americans, getting them to do terrible things. Or it could just be fake news. And no, this has nothing to do with President Donald Trump.
Rather, it has to do with something called the Blue Whale Challenge, allegedly an online "game" where pre-teens and teenagers using social media sites like Snapchat or Instagram seek out a "challenge administrator," who then directs them to carry out a series of tasks over 50 days.
The tasks start innocuously enough — listen to a certain song, watch a scary movie by yourself, wake up at 4 in the morning — but escalate over the 50 days, taking on a more twisted nature, such as cutting the shape of a whale into your forearm and posting photos or videos on social media, before culminating on the 50th day with the administrator telling the participant they must take their own life to win the game.
There are claims that the blue whale suicide game — so-called for whales that beach themselves to die — has been responsible for more than 100 teen suicides in Russia, where the challenge supposedly originated. Here's the problem: There doesn't seem to be any evidence that such a game actually exists. Rather, it may just be an internet rumor that has spiraled out of control.
Nevertheless, it hasn't stopped law enforcement and school officials across the United States from warning parents about this sick and potentially deadly game. Earlier this week, at least one Carroll County middle school emailed a notice to parents alerting them of the Blue Whale Challenge, also referred to as Sea of Whales, A Silent House or F57, and encouraging them to let the school know if they are aware of any student who may be "playing."
The warning cites information from a Maryland Center for School Safety bulletin that indicates the Blue Whale app (which does not appear to be found through traditional methods such as the iTunes store or Google Play) hacks into personal information, which the administrator then uses "as a way of control to have [the player] complete the ultimate challenge of committing suicide [or the administrator] will threaten to expose them or cause harm to a loved one or family member."
Sheriff Jim DeWees said in an email he was unaware of any teen suicides in the county connected to the game.
And, thus far, there have been no verified reports of teens who have killed themselves because of the game anywhere, although several media outlets in Europe, where this madness has apparently been going on for far longer than it has here, have reported accounts of parents who blamed their child's suicide on the game or stories of people being saved from completing the final task.
For example, RT, a Russian international television network funded by the Russian government — so take this for what it's worth — reported earlier this week three young men rescued a 15-year-old girl who jumped into a turbulent mountain river attempting to complete the "Blue Whale" challenge. When her rescuers asked her on a video that is posted with the story, whether she knew she could have died, she responds "yes," laughs and adds "it's cool … It's adrenaline."
Even if the game isn't quite as described — and spend any amount of time searching it on the web and you'll find plenty of variations — it likely exists in some capacity, even if just perverted from earlier internet rumors and reports, or is just the name of various discussion groups on social media for youth with suicidal thoughts. Whether any teens or pre-teens have followed through with the final deadly task is far more unclear.
Regardless, if you're a parent of a middle or high school student, you need to know about this and should talk with your children.
Experts suggest approaching a discussion with a younger child about the game by asking if there are any new games that they or their friends are hearing about or playing on social media; and if there are any popular challenges online. Let middle-schoolers lead the discussion, but with older students, ask more directly about it.
Parents should also search for hashtags like #BlueWhaleChallenge or photos of a blue whale on their kids' social media accounts.
Even if the whole thing turns out to be a hoax, it's worth having the discussion, just in case. You'll feel more stupid about not asking if it is real than you will if you don't.
And if you, or anyone you know, is showing signs of being suicidal, whether related to this game or otherwise, and wants to talk to someone, there are resources available. The Maryland Crisis Hotline is 800-422-0009 and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255.
Wayne Carter is the editor of the Carroll County Times. Reach him at wayne.carter@carrollcountytimes.com.
