Teens love adventure. For them, the external environment becomes a source of inspiration,
which is why they are willing to do anything. It seems like a project or mission to them . It is
kind of cool to them and to satisfy their curiosity they become indulged in such acts. Teenagers
generally take these risks because they are vulnerable and prone to seek validation. Also, it
makes them feel like they are a part of something that is bigger than them.
In this age of online gaming, it is not always possible to understand the implications of a
particular game when you begin to play it. We have always been aware of the dangers inherent
in online game. The Blue Whale is neither fish nor fowl but a ‘killer’ online game of inflating
proportions that nobody has reliably encountered. It is a sequence of online ‘dares’ that
participants must progressively engage in to get ahead.
For a period of 50 days, the victim is given with such missions, the final of which is the
participant committing suicide. Participants are expected to share photos of the
challenges/tasks completed by them. These daily tasks start off easy — such as listening to
certain genres of music, waking up at odd hours, watching a horror movie, among others, and
then slowly escalate to carving out shapes on one’s skin, self-mutilation and eventually suicide.
They are also threatened that their dearest ones will be harmed if they quit the game in the
middle.
There is still uncertainty over how a participant plays the game. While some say the user has to
install some app on their smart phone, others say it’s via social media platforms such as
Instagram and Facebook where the administrators get in touch with the participant after those
interested throw out postings on social media asking for a “curator”. A number of different
hashtags— #bluewhalechallenge, #curatorfindme, #i_am_whale — act as signals for the
anonymous curators. The game is reportedly first came to limelight in part of a gaming
community, on social media network VKontakte (VK.com), Russia’s most popular social
network.
Fliilip Budeykin is the creator of the game who wanted to “free the world from mentally
distressed people in the verge of making a choice to end their life”. In 2016, he was arrested for
aiding suicides. The 22-year-old who later pleaded guilty said the victims were "biological
waste" and that he was "cleansing society". His purpose was to cleanse society by provoking
people who think they are not worthy of being alive to commit suicide. Strange!!! Isn’t it?
According to a report in The Sun on July 31, the game has been linked to the deaths of around
130 teenagers across the world. And unfortunately, India is no exception among the countries.
But why would someone be drawn towards such a deadly game? Experts say that people who
are drawn to play such games may themselves be going through psychological issues like lack of focus, interest, feeling inadequate or incompetent. Most probably these people are already
mentally weakened.
The internet is an uncontrolled and uncensored entity, which makes it hard to control all
activities that young adults may indulge in. The internet’s biggest advantage and disadvantage
is its scope for anonymity, and great harm can be done to unsuspecting people from behind a
screen armed with a keyboard.
So however, no one is oblivious of the disastrous ramification of this Sword of Damocles now.
The government being aware of the impending danger, has directed top internet platforms -
Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo - to immediately take down any
links leading to the 'deadly game'. A website has stated yet another online game called the Pink
Whale Challenge, in which the participant completes tasks that are aimed at motivation and
boosting self confidence.
So, how do we stop it at our level? When a teenager naturally feels isolated and angry, and it is
very easy for them to fall prey to someone who makes them feel they are useless, especially
since this often corroborates with their viewpoints of themselves. The teenagers who
committed suicide as the final act of the game mentioned the feeling of worthlessness and
feeling lost in their final notes. Things might have been widely different if the elders of the
family had paid them a little more attention, and if they had someone to turn to, someone they
could confide in. So, being available to talk to children and students when they go through
vulnerable times, making them aware of the dangers of such games and providing
psychological and emotional support in a non-judgemental way will go a long way in helping
them get out of it. If the teenagers are seemingly lost, lonely and depressed, parents and school
managements must take serious and immediate action to get them involved socially in the real
world and divert their mind by providing activities or giving them something new to learn. It is
important for letting these young people know that it is okay to feel lost, and to feel
misunderstood, and that family and friends are better confidantes than some controlling entity
sitting behind a computer somewhere.
by Nikhil Kumar Barik
nklmarch17@gmail.com
+919658807553
which is why they are willing to do anything. It seems like a project or mission to them . It is
kind of cool to them and to satisfy their curiosity they become indulged in such acts. Teenagers
generally take these risks because they are vulnerable and prone to seek validation. Also, it
makes them feel like they are a part of something that is bigger than them.
In this age of online gaming, it is not always possible to understand the implications of a
particular game when you begin to play it. We have always been aware of the dangers inherent
in online game. The Blue Whale is neither fish nor fowl but a ‘killer’ online game of inflating
proportions that nobody has reliably encountered. It is a sequence of online ‘dares’ that
participants must progressively engage in to get ahead.
For a period of 50 days, the victim is given with such missions, the final of which is the
participant committing suicide. Participants are expected to share photos of the
challenges/tasks completed by them. These daily tasks start off easy — such as listening to
certain genres of music, waking up at odd hours, watching a horror movie, among others, and
then slowly escalate to carving out shapes on one’s skin, self-mutilation and eventually suicide.
They are also threatened that their dearest ones will be harmed if they quit the game in the
middle.
There is still uncertainty over how a participant plays the game. While some say the user has to
install some app on their smart phone, others say it’s via social media platforms such as
Instagram and Facebook where the administrators get in touch with the participant after those
interested throw out postings on social media asking for a “curator”. A number of different
hashtags— #bluewhalechallenge, #curatorfindme, #i_am_whale — act as signals for the
anonymous curators. The game is reportedly first came to limelight in part of a gaming
community, on social media network VKontakte (VK.com), Russia’s most popular social
network.
Fliilip Budeykin is the creator of the game who wanted to “free the world from mentally
distressed people in the verge of making a choice to end their life”. In 2016, he was arrested for
aiding suicides. The 22-year-old who later pleaded guilty said the victims were "biological
waste" and that he was "cleansing society". His purpose was to cleanse society by provoking
people who think they are not worthy of being alive to commit suicide. Strange!!! Isn’t it?
According to a report in The Sun on July 31, the game has been linked to the deaths of around
130 teenagers across the world. And unfortunately, India is no exception among the countries.
But why would someone be drawn towards such a deadly game? Experts say that people who
are drawn to play such games may themselves be going through psychological issues like lack of focus, interest, feeling inadequate or incompetent. Most probably these people are already
mentally weakened.
The internet is an uncontrolled and uncensored entity, which makes it hard to control all
activities that young adults may indulge in. The internet’s biggest advantage and disadvantage
is its scope for anonymity, and great harm can be done to unsuspecting people from behind a
screen armed with a keyboard.
So however, no one is oblivious of the disastrous ramification of this Sword of Damocles now.
The government being aware of the impending danger, has directed top internet platforms -
Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo - to immediately take down any
links leading to the 'deadly game'. A website has stated yet another online game called the Pink
Whale Challenge, in which the participant completes tasks that are aimed at motivation and
boosting self confidence.
So, how do we stop it at our level? When a teenager naturally feels isolated and angry, and it is
very easy for them to fall prey to someone who makes them feel they are useless, especially
since this often corroborates with their viewpoints of themselves. The teenagers who
committed suicide as the final act of the game mentioned the feeling of worthlessness and
feeling lost in their final notes. Things might have been widely different if the elders of the
family had paid them a little more attention, and if they had someone to turn to, someone they
could confide in. So, being available to talk to children and students when they go through
vulnerable times, making them aware of the dangers of such games and providing
psychological and emotional support in a non-judgemental way will go a long way in helping
them get out of it. If the teenagers are seemingly lost, lonely and depressed, parents and school
managements must take serious and immediate action to get them involved socially in the real
world and divert their mind by providing activities or giving them something new to learn. It is
important for letting these young people know that it is okay to feel lost, and to feel
misunderstood, and that family and friends are better confidantes than some controlling entity
sitting behind a computer somewhere.
by Nikhil Kumar Barik
nklmarch17@gmail.com
+919658807553
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