How to protect your child from Blue Whale Challenge, Read this Police Advisory

September 17,2017;

The final challenge in this Game is committing suicide.

Tamil Nadu Police has issued  a advisory in a bid to create awareness about the Blue Whale Challenge.Online game has claimed life of a youth in Madurai, and the reports of youngsters harming themselves as part of "challenge" has been coming from rest of the country as well.

Madras HC took up the case suo motu and had directed that Central and the State Governments to take action to curb the online game that has turned into a social menace.

“Blue Whale Game” which is known as “Blue Whale Challenge” is an Internet Game that consists of series of the dangerous tasks assigned to its players, for a period of the 50 days, with final challenge being committing suicide.

Mostly the Game targets the teenagers and the young adults who aspire to achieve something big.

Dangerous tasks includes “Waking up at 04.20 am”, “Watching the horror videos alone”, “Inflicting self-injury”, drawing picture of the whale and then carving same onto their forearm or the legs”, “climbing up roof, crane etc.,” and encouraging them to tag their friends on the social media so as to challenge them to participate in Blue Whale game.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD/STUDENT: A) Look out for the following symptoms and activities in your child/Student:

1. Becoming withdrawn from the friends and the family
2. Persistent low mood and unhappiness
3. Sudden outbursts and anger directed at themselves or others
4. Loss of interest in activities that they used to enjoy
5. Late night surfing
6. Spending more time on internet
7. Concealing the online activity
8. Unusual injuries on body

B) Parental Control :

1. Know, Prevent and Protect.
2. Monitor your child’s Social Media activity and ensure that they are allowed to access them only when you are convinced that they are matured enough to handle them.
3. Monitor your kid’s search history of internet and get useful insights. They will help you to see the state of mind of your kid.
4. View your child’s text messages, call logs, communications via Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, etc. Moreover, try to limit apps usage and block the sites which promote dangerous activities.
5. Children, who have entered the game, might have depression or even have suicidal thoughts. Recognize any changes in your kid’s behavior that may point out depression or any other mental problem.
6. Parents may be advised to change the settings in “PLAYSTORE” and activate parental control for 3 + games permission alone.
7. Spend more time with your children and encourage them to participate in outdoor games.