Hoax or not, Momo challenge alarms moms

IN the past week the internet has been inundated with articles and messages warning parents about the Momo Challenge that targets children who watch children’s content on YouTube and encourages self-harm which may even lead to suicide.

The Film and Publication Board (FPB) sent out a warning to parents to be vigilant and closely monitor their children’s online activities, especially games downloaded on various App stores or from other online sources.

“It has come to our attention that the game, Momo Challenge is a form of cyberbullying targeting young children,” said the FPB’s manager communications and public education, Lynette Kamineth.

According the FPB, the Momo Challenge appears as a scary image on online platforms with requests for the user to contact Momo on WhatsApp through one of several contact numbers.

Reports claim the character instructs children to complete challenges they must keep secret or Momo will kill them.

FPB’s acting ceo, Dr Maria Motebang said, “Our FPB online monitors conducted a search on legitimate and known App stores and were unable to find reference to the game. However, there is a possibility the game may be shared on a peer-to-peer basis. Parents and guardians are, therefore, urged to monitor their children’s devices and report such content on the FPB hotline number 0800 148 148 or www.fpbhotline.org.za.”

Mothers monitor technology

Durban resident and mother of one, Tarryn Kumm, said her son is exposed to online games and she is always worried about what he sees.

“Kids now are exposed to so much at a very young age and even if we, as parents, try to stop it or monitor it, it is very difficult as the information is so easily accessible. We have monsters among us.

Tarryn said she tries to teach her son as much as she can about the dangers he may encounter without scaring him.

“I want him so much to still believe in good and kindness and have hope, but it really is so hard. I worry while he is at school, while he is at home, when we are out and about and even while we sleep because making sure my child is safe and protected is the most important thing to me,” she said.

Another Durban mom, Carly Erasmus said whether this Momo Challenge is a hoax or not, it is possible for this kind of thing to happen.

“We cannot be ignorant to the dangers of using technology where hackers can easily intercept even the most trusted firewalls. I know it’s hard at the best of times, but we need to try to protect our kids from the sickness of this world,” she said.

She said she doesn’t allow her child to be left alone with technology. “It sucks, but I would rather be known as overprotective than having my child wide open to external elements that I cannot control,” she added.

Mother, Lorraine Gregg, said she caught her child’s friend showing the Momo image to him. “It was going around the schools last year. There are a lot of subliminal messages in the Disney movies as well. My boy was watching an official lego tutorial on YouTube and I happened to see two lego figurines having sex in the middle of the screen,” she said.

Monitoring tips

There are no confirmed Momo extreme challenge incidents in South Africa, the FPB urges parents to take note of the following tips:

-Download monitoring apps on your device. These apps monitor your child’s online activities and can be set to alert you when your child logs on to an app.

-Allow you to set limits of how much time they can spend online using their devices.

-Alerts you when the child tries to download an app.

-Allows you to grant permission for your child to download an app.

-Always supervise your children when they are online and get to know the games they play or videos they access on platforms such as YouTube.

-Be aware that the internet does not only offer fun activities, there are also criminal activities.

-Teach children not to share personal information and to ensure their privacy settings are always on.

-Assist them to identify activities or people that make them feel uncomfortable and to report such activities immediately to their parents.

-Teach children to block any person who bullies them and to report to an adult.

-Ensure that the devices they have access to are restricted to age suitable content.

-Many social networks require users to be 13 years or older. If your children have social media accounts, ensure that you check their privacy settings and who they interact with.

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