Sick internet suicide game told my boy,8 to put a knife to his neck
Mum tells how evil images left her child terrified and afraid of the dark
A WORRIED mum has warned parents to keep their children away from an internet “suicide game” after her son claimed a cartoon face told him to put a knife to his neck.
Lyn Dixon spoke out about the Momo Challenge – played on social media channels WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube – which allegedly encourages kids to harm themselves.
It has an avatar of a girl with long, dark hair and big, bug-like eyes.
Lyn said her eight-year-old son became afraid of the dark and of being alone after images of the Momo avatar popped up on YouTube when he was viewing videos.
The mum, from Edinburgh, claims the game encourages children to harm themselves.
Lyn said: “He showed me an image of the face and said she had told him to go into the kitchen drawer and take out a knife and put it into his neck.
“We’ve told him it’s a load of rubbish and there are bad people out there who do bad things. But it’s really frightening.”
The challenge allegedly encourages children to hurt themselves after they have been invited to take part by an anonymous controller. Lyn added: “At first, my son didn’t want to go upstairs on his own as it was dark up there.
“He was terrified and wouldn’t sleep in his own bed. But we got to the bottom of it and explained the game wasn’t real.”
The Momo Challenge has been linked to the death of a 12-year-old girl in Argentina.
A French father filed a complaint with a state department in November after his son took his own life.
And the Belgian public prosecutor’s office reported in November that a 13-year-old boy had been the victim of the Momo Challenge and hung himself.
A spokesman for NSPCC Scotland said: “The constantly evolving digital world means a steady influx of new apps and games and it can be hard for parents to keep track.
“That’s why it’s important for parents to talk regularly with children about these apps and games and the potential risks they can be exposed to.
“The NSPCC publishes advice and guidance for parents on discussing online safety with their children, as well as Net Aware – the UK’s only parental guide to social media and gaming apps.”