This Game is Encouraging Young People to Commit Suicide

You must have heard of the Blue Whale Challenge by now. If not, here’s why you should know about this most dangerous fad.

It is a game where the player is challenged to do different tasks by an administrator for 50 days, ranging from seclusion, to self-harm, and eventually suicide.

This game is believed to have originated from Russia, created by a psychology student who is in prison now.

Reports say that it has claimed over 100 lives in Russia and Europe. It first appeared on Russian social networking site VKontakte.

Why is the Game Named Blue Whale Challenge?

Often times, blue whales kill themselves by washing up ashore on a beach, committing suicide in a manner of speaking.

It allegedly caused its first suicide in 2015 and only yesterday, a 19-year old from India also committed suicide and left a note which read:

“Blue Whale – This is not a game but danger. Once you enter, you can never exit.“

What are the 50 tasks?

They say prevention is better than a cure. This game, which is driving people to suicide, needs to be recognized for what it is.

In order to do that, we must know what signs to watch out for.

What are the 50 tasks in the Blue Whale Challenge that lead to the suicide of a player? Parents and friends need to look out for these tell-tale signs for any participant to the Blue Whale Challenge.

Although the tasks keep on changing, some of the 50 tasks (as seen below) were conveyed on Russian and Lithuanian websites as being linked with the game. Originally the list was found on Reddit here.

Here’s some common tell-tale signs:

• Carve a specific phrase on the person’s own hand or arm.
• Wake up at 4:20 a.m. and watch a scary video (sent by the curator.)
• Make lengthwise cuts on the person’s own arm.
• Draw a whale on a piece of paper
• Write “yes” on the person’s own leg if ready to be a whale. Otherwise, they should cut themselves multiple times.
• Secret task (written in code.)
• Scratch (a message) on the person’s own arm.
• Write a status online about being a whale.
• Overcome a fear.
• Get up at 4:20 and go to the roof.
• Carve a whale on the person’s own hand.
• Watch scary videos all day.
• Listen to music the “curator” sends.
• Cut your lip.
• Poke the person’s own arm/hand with a needle.
• Make yourself hurt or sick.
• Go to a roof and stand on the edge.
• Stand on a bridge.
• Climb a crane.
• At this step, the “curator” somehow checks to see if the participant is trustworthy.
• Talk with a “whale” on Skype.
• Sit down on a roof with legs dangling over the edge.
• Another job that is in code.
• A secret mission
• Meet with a “whale.”
• The “curator” assigns a date that the person will die.
• Visit a railroad.
• Do not talk with anyone all day.
• Give an oath/vow about being a whale

The players or participants are supposed to prove it to the curator or administrator that they performed the task by sending a picture.

How Do the Tasks Work?

Talking about psychological manipulation, Kati Morton, a licensed therapist stated that grooming is a major tactic used by the administrator to make the player comfortable at first when they start out the Challenge.

As a number of tasks involve talking to the ‘curative’ or ‘whale’ or Skyping with them, it makes it easier for the administrators to do psychological manipulation and groom the players as an abuse tactic.

Watch Your Kids

In past few months, the Blue Whale challenge has been gaining a lot of fame and since the the game is free to download, doctors, parents and even the police have advised everyone to keep an eye out for any erratic behavior.

Although there have been no suicide cases connected with the Blue Whale Challenge being reported in Pakistan, it’s still important to beware of this game and help safeguard your loved ones by monitoring their mobile device usage.