The Momo Challenge

[PollyannaMom]

Yeah my kids stay in the living room or playroom to watch them but they're into the "toy videos" which are either kids or adults playing with toys. Ugh they drive me crazy!

I don't get the fascination with these either! My little niece and nephew love them.

 

[jliehr]

I don't get the fascination with these either! My little niece and nephew love them.

Do you watch HGTV, Food Network or sports? All of those are watching other people doing stuff, just with a greater production budget.

 

[gotomu212]

My son is a nurse practitioner in the ER of our local children’s hospital. He said there were lots of kids in the ER yesterday because they were freaking out by this. Ugh!

I’m sorry what? Why did kids go to the ER over this? They were freaked out about a hoax and went for what kind of emergency medical treatment? That seems really far fetched and part of the hoax.

 

[antmaril]

I’m sorry what? Why did kids go to the ER over this? They were freaked out about a hoax and went for what kind of emergency medical treatment? That seems really far fetched and part of the hoax.

I really don’t know. People go to the ER for all kinds of things. I was just repeating what my son told me. The children were so upset that the parents felt a trip to the ER was in order.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Wasn’t there one of these last year or so? Blue cow or something...

Momo started last summer. My kids told me about it then.

None of these things are new. I’m more concerned about the pervs time stamping videos with kids in them, and the like. (A big reason why my kids will never be allowed to post their little videos).

 

[gotomu212]

I really don’t know. People go to the ER for all kinds of things. I was just repeating what my son told me. The children were so upset that the parents felt a trip to the ER was in order.

This still makes no sense? What would a doctor do about a scary video (which doesn’t even exist). If you had said your son was a police officer and they had an influx of concerned calls that would be believable, but people seeking treatment for being scared is something I’ve never experienced in the medical field.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Warnings about this have been on our local news the last couple days. I teach at an elementary school and it’s all the kids have been talking about this week. Most kids say they know it’s fake, but I’ve had several that have told me they are scared to go to sleep at night because of it.

 

[Feralpeg]

Whew! I wondered where my reply went. I thought it may have gotten deleted, even though I didn't think I wrote anything wrong. It's on your thread.
Repeating it here for anyone who didn't see it on the other thread:

Kim Kardashian wrote about it and her warning went viral and got re-posted a lot. That's probably a lot of why a lot of people are freaking out about it.

TMZ talked about the Momo Challenge yesterday. As far as they & YouTube know, as they both checked out many, many videos, this is a hoax. There has NOT been one real sighting of Momo popping up on ANY YouTube video. Or, if it had, it was removed by the poster who did it before it was found.

If TMZ found one, they would have posted the video AND have alerted YouTube. And YouTube would have told everyone that they removed it, and probably called the FBI. There was a court case a couple weeks ago in CT, about a girl who urged her friend by phone & text messages to commit suicide. And when he wanted to back out of it, she humiliated him and egged him on further, saying he was a coward, or something like that, until he did kill himself. She is now going to prison. So, there is now legal precedent to arrest & put away people who urge others to commit suicide.

The one I saw was some picture in a picture thing. A little kid, with a British accent, was playing a video game. The main part of the screen was the game. The kid talked as he played. The game reminded me of a Super Mario type thing (it wasn't Super Mario). I really paid no attention to the name of the video. It wasn't on YouTube. It was on YouTube Kids.

 

[siren0119]

I really don’t know. People go to the ER for all kinds of things. I was just repeating what my son told me. The children were so upset that the parents felt a trip to the ER was in order.

Because parents freak out, and kids respond to the reactions of their trusted adults. It may not be true of ALL cases (There are definitely kids with genuine anxiety disorders) but I guarantee MANY cases were kids freaking out because their parents were freaking out.

 

[antmaril]

This still makes no sense? What would a doctor do about a scary video (which doesn’t even exist). If you had said your son was a police officer and they had an influx of concerned calls that would be believable, but people seeking treatment for being scared is something I’ve never experienced in the medical field.

I am not sure what you want me to say. I am just mentioning what happened yesterday in the ER where my son works. If you don’t believe it, that’s fine. He didn’t make it up so I could mention it here on the Dis.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

This was discussed at work yesterday. A co worker daughter is having a hard time dealing with this. She finally told her parents because she wasn't sure if she should kill herself. We have removed all of YTKids from all his devices. My 6 year old was so hurt yesterday because it was hard for him to understand, why I was taking his screen time. He gets 30 minutes Monday-Friday and 1.5 on Saturday. None on Sunday. I have spoken to his teacher and also the older kids to make sure he doesn't ask them to watch on their devices

If I’m reading your post correctly, your co-workers’ daughter was told online by a video to kill herself? If this is true your co-worker needs to contact local police and YouTube ASAP as it would be the first verifiable case of this hoax actually being true.

 

[Imzadi]

I really don’t know. People go to the ER for all kinds of things. I was just repeating what my son told me. The children were so upset that the parents felt a trip to the ER was in order.

Because parents freak out, and kids respond to the reactions of their trusted adults. It may not be true of ALL cases (There are definitely kids with genuine anxiety disorders) but I guarantee MANY cases were kids freaking out because their parents were freaking out.

Exactly. I'll bet when some parents found out about the warning about Momo, they got really scared, and SHOWED their kids the the warning video, asking their kids if they had seen the video of Momo. Because they were freaking out, their kid got freaked out and started crying. Not knowing why their parents were freaked out all of a sudden, only that it was over the Momo video/image/pic. So, then their parents think it IS the Momo video/image/whatever that is freaking out their kid. Only their kid can't articulate WHY it is Momo, they just know they should be freaked out by it - because their parents are.

Then the parents take the kid to the ER as they are all freaking out. And when the doctor asks they why the kid is freaking out, they say it's Momo. Even if the doctor asks, "Did YOU show him Momo or did he come tell you on his own? The parents probably said, "Of course I showed him Momo. I had to know if he saw it. And he did. He freaked out the moment he saw her." When actually he freaked out because his parents were freaking out.

And as for kids saying they saw Momo in a video. Kids show each other things. Probably some of them have seen the warning videos about Momo. Their parents may have shown them. So they show their friends. And then the other kid tells their parents they saw Momo in a video and they are scared. But, they aren't being clear that the video is a warning video. (The kid might not know himself that it was a warning video he saw.) The parents just think Momo popped up in a video the kid was watching.


It reminds me of an interview I saw recently with Daniel Radcliffe. He was asked what it was like the first time he was mobbed by Harry Potter fans and was it really scary for him? Daniel said it happened when he was rather young, like at about age 6. They had come out of an event and the sidewalk was mobbed with hundreds of HP fans. Security was in front of him & his parents, pushing their way to get to their car. People were grabbing at Daniel. His mother might have lost her hat. He had a sleeve ripped. Something like that. They finally get into the car and shut the door.

Daniel said he doesn't know if his parents had talked ahead of time and planned their reaction to such an occurrence. But, they both started laughing. Then shrugged, and said something like, "Wow, that was really weird." Daniel said because his parents hadn't freaked out, he hadn't either. If they had acted scared, he would have too. To this day, Daniel and a few of the other HP actors maintain that HP fans are some of the nicest & safest fans anyone can have.

 

[gotomu212]

I am not sure what you want me to say. I am just mentioning what happened yesterday in the ER where my son works. If you don’t believe it, that’s fine. He didn’t make it up so I could mention it here on the Dis.

No worries, just like one of the main things we teach our kids about internet safety if you read something on the internet that doesn’t pass the smell test you shouldn’t just blindly accept it.

I’m sure the media will rush to tell these stories about busy ERs due to the hoax once the ERs come out with their data since they seem all hyped up to cover it and have egg on their face for reporting it as fact in the first place.

 

[MrsPete]

My takeaway from all of this is to be aware of what your kids are watching. Don’t just hang then a phone or tablet and walk away. Watch with them.

Yes, my kids are 20s now. It was easier when they were younger: They had access to one desktop computer, and they knew I could walk in at any time /could search the history ... and since the whole family shared it, excessive screen time wasn't much of a problem. With tablets and smart phones, appropriate internet access for kids is harder now.

Different format, but same parenting challenge as always. When I was a kid there was no Internet. Instead, we hung out in the woods, in somebody's basement, behind the school, or any other number of places where parents wouldn't bother us. there was no Momo to challange us. Instead, my idiot friends and I thought of "dares" and crazy stunts. I dare you to eat this, I dare you to smoke that, I bet you won't do this or that. There is no shortage of stupid ideas being put in front of kids every day. The key is to keep talking to your kids, understand where they are and who they hang out with, set a good example, and spend quality time with them. Also, if you think your kids are under a negative influence, remember whose house they live in - yours. Every room in the house, every device in the house, every closet in the house is all yours. Look. I realize it's good to give them privacy, but if you think they are drifting, look under the bed, in the dresser, on their phone, laptop, and other electronics. Be proactive.

I'm in law enforcement. I am still shocked when I have to go to the house of a young adult who has found his/her way into trouble and find that the kid has a locked bedroom, closet, or desk that the parents have never looked in. That goes for electronics as well.

Very good post. Yes, we did lots of dumb /dangerous things, but we were limited to what we ourselves could think up ... the internet widens the circle to a greater number of kids, which means more idiotic ideas ... and some of those "kids" aren't kids.

As for the last paragraph, it can be summed up with this thought: Be a parent. Don't just let your kid do whatever, whenever. I'm rather constantly amazed at how un-involved some of my students' parents are in their lives.

It’s a good thing that the pp’s friend’s daughter talked to her mom but not every kid will and that is the terrifying part.

And not every parent will listen.

 

[CarolAnn856]

The concerning part to me is just how easily so many people are taken in by these hoaxes. All it takes for some people is a person in an position of authority (parents, police, governmental figures) to put something out there and these people all freak out, regardless of whether there is any truth to the "emergency" or not.

 

[Searc]

The concerning part to me is just how easily so many people are taken in by these hoaxes. All it takes for some people is a person in an position of authority (parents, police, governmental figures) to put something out there and these people all freak out, regardless of whether there is any truth to the "emergency" or not.

There's a sucker born every minute. People have entirely lost the ability to think critically.

 

[luvsJack]

Exactly. I'll bet when some parents found out about the warning about Momo, they got really scared, and SHOWED their kids the the warning video, asking their kids if they had seen the video of Momo. Because they were freaking out, their kid got freaked out and started crying. Not knowing why their parents were freaked out all of a sudden, only that it was over the Momo video/image/pic. So, then their parents think it IS the Momo video/image/whatever that is freaking out their kid. Only their kid can't articulate WHY it is Momo, they just know they should be freaked out by it - because their parents are.

Then the parents take the kid to the ER as they are all freaking out. And when the doctor asks they why the kid is freaking out, they say it's Momo. Even if the doctor asks, "Did YOU show him Momo or did he come tell you on his own? The parents probably said, "Of course I showed him Momo. I had to know if he saw it. And he did. He freaked out the moment he saw her." When actually he freaked out because his parents were freaking out.

And as for kids saying they saw Momo in a video. Kids show each other things. Probably some of them have seen the warning videos about Momo. Their parents may have shown them. So they show their friends. And then the other kid tells their parents they saw Momo in a video and they are scared. But, they aren't being clear that the video is a warning video. (The kid might not know himself that it was a warning video he saw.) The parents just think Momo popped up in a video the kid was watching.


It reminds me of an interview I saw recently with Daniel Radcliffe. He was asked what it was like the first time he was mobbed by Harry Potter fans and was it really scary for him? Daniel said it happened when he was rather young, like at about age 6. They had come out of an event and the sidewalk was mobbed with hundreds of HP fans. Security was in front of him & his parents, pushing their way to get to their car. People were grabbing at Daniel. His mother might have lost her hat. He had a sleeve ripped. They finally get into the car and shut the door.

Daniel said he doesn't know if his parents had talked ahead of time and planned their reaction to such an occurrence. But, they both started laughing. Then shrugged, and said, "Wow, that was really weird." Daniel said because his parents hadn't freaked out, he hadn't either. If they had acted scared, he would have too. To this day, Daniel and a few of the other HP actors maintain that HP fans are some of the nicest & safest fans anyone can have.

He would have had to been 11 or above. He was 11 when he made the first movie.

Parents’ reactions can have a lot to do with the reactions of kids. This is very true. .

As for the kids going to the ER, I could understand a parent not knowing what else to do when their child is hysterical and they can’t calm them down, taking them to the ER for help. The why the child is hysterical would need to be determined.




I doubt anyone here does this, but too many kids are handed a device and allowed just freedom of use with no guidance. The fact is there are people out there that will target kids. Whether it’s online gaming or kids videos. There is a real danger and too many easily dismiss the warnings because “Momo was a hoax”. The using of that actual character is a hoax. The dangers that exist are not.

It’s like all the crazy reports of people being “after” someone’s kid in Walmart. Notice in all these personal accounts not once do they mention the police, security or asset protection. Walmart has a policy. If anyone approached a Walmart employee about someone following them, they would alert AP because they are on the cameras and can find the person or see what happened. AP would call the police. And yet no account ever says this happens. The accounts aren’t real. Does that mean that there isn’t a danger out there? No. There was a girl in this area rescued from a sex trafficking ring this week. The danger is real.

 

[Imzadi]

He would have had to been 11 or above. He was 11 when he made the first movie.

Parents’ reactions can have a lot to do with the reactions of kids. This is very true. .

You're right. Daniel was 12. I found the video. It was recent enough that I was able to remember the interviewer to locate it. He does talk about how if his parents had freaked out, (exact words,) he would have been too.

 

[DLgal]

The concerning part to me is just how easily so many people are taken in by these hoaxes. All it takes for some people is a person in an position of authority (parents, police, governmental figures) to put something out there and these people all freak out, regardless of whether there is any truth to the "emergency" or not.

It's called fear mongering. It's ruining our society.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

It's called fear mongering. It's ruining our society.

Preach. I couldn’t have rolled my eyes harder when I got a letter AND phone call from my kids’ MIDDLE SCHOOL.