You may be aware of a meme making its way across the internet and messaging platforms called the ‘Momo Challenge’. With news outlets using words such as ‘suicide’ and ‘self-harm’ it’s only normal for parents to feel concerned. Momo is a fictitious character of a creepy looking doll-like figure which is used to appear in social media, videos and online games, encouraging children to add a contact on WhatsApp and is then sent a series of dares or challenges to complete. The dares or challenges usually consist of doing unkind things to themselves or to other people. If your child receives a message like this they must not forward it to anyone or attempt to complete any of these challenges and to tell a trusted adult straight away. We will be discussing this in our Computing lesson however we would also like your support.

Keep checking your child’s online communication (smart phone, tablet and online gaming platforms e.t.c.) to ensure appropriate action is taken if they receive anything of this nature. Block the contact who has sent the message and then report and delete the message. If it appears online via social media or online video please reiterate that Momo is not real and to ignore and block any messages they have read and report it to the website. Encourage your child to talk to you if they see anything online that concerns them and to not succumb to peer pressure and do anything they are not comfortable with online or offline.

As with any online viral trend it’s difficult to predict when they begin and how long they last therefore it is essential you continue monitoring your child’s online activity.

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