The Blue Whale Challenge and what it means
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 games, but so far, they have been restricted to possibilities of imbibing
violent behavior and warped understanding of reality. Today, however, things have changed
a lot; we have been exposed to implications that are greater and far more dangerous than
anything we have known or seen so far. The world has come to be aware of the Blue Whale
Challenge, an online ‘game’ that is being linked to deaths by suicide of scores of teenagers
and young adults around the world.
What is the Challenge?
The Blue Whale Challenge is reportedly an online ‘game’ that requires its players to perform
certain tasks, many of which involve self-mutilation and other dangerous activities. The final
task of this challenge requires committing suicide. Needless to say, this game has attracted
the attention of authorities across the globe, as almost twenty countries have been affected
by the same. The game attract mostly teenagers and young adults, people who are more
susceptible to online influences, and attempts to create an air of unworthiness and
uselessness around them. Some reports have surfaced that claims the game requires the
player to submit sensitive data before commencing, which the administrators then use to
blackmail the players in case they try to back out of the game. The veracity of this claim has
not yet been confirmed, but it has also given rise to the rumor that downloading the fame
injects malware into the system that infects files and steals sensitive data.
Budeikin’s arrest
The Blue Whale Challenge, since its inception of spread across the world, has stirred up a
number of controversies. A Russian man named Philipp Bedecking was arrested in Russia,
after which he confessed to have incited the suicide of at least 16 underage girls in his
country. He claimed to be one of the administrators of the game who set the task and
coordinated the completion of the same by the participants. According to Budeikin, he had
pushed those girls to suicide because he had deemed that their lives had no value in the
greater scheme of things. His arrest and subsequent confession caused widespread
concern in Russia, prompting the authorities to take notice and pass the suicide prevention
legislation.
Target demographic
The Blue Whale Challenge has since spread in many parts of the world, claiming many lives
and injuring many more. The key players are usually teenagers and young adults, that is,
people who are susceptible to influences from someone apparently powerful. Since
teenagers are mostly in a place in their lives that makes them feel out of place and unable
to fit in within their surroundings, finding acceptance is difficult at this age. And, when a
teenager finds acceptance, no matter how negative that is, he or she is likely to become
highly influenced and get under the spell of the accepting party. This mentality appears to
be the control switch that the administrators of the Blue Whale Challenge use.
Parental control
The Blue Whale Challenge points at issues far wider than young people committing suicide,
although that is a disconcerting matter in its own right. It points at the free internet usage of
young people and the dangers associated with it, which is, as it turns out, a far greater
social problem than we originally supposed. It is important for parents to monitor their
children’s internet usage, make note of what they are surfing and the kind of games they
are playing, and follow whom they are speaking to. 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.
Helpline for kids
The challenge points to yet another poignant social issue. In most families, teen angst is
usually dismissed as normal hormonal changes. The 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. Things
have, thankfully, changed somewhat in the wake of the Blue Whale Challenge. 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. 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.
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 games, but so far, they have been restricted to possibilities of imbibing
violent behavior and warped understanding of reality. Today, however, things have changed
a lot; we have been exposed to implications that are greater and far more dangerous than
anything we have known or seen so far. The world has come to be aware of the Blue Whale
Challenge, an online ‘game’ that is being linked to deaths by suicide of scores of teenagers
and young adults around the world.
What is the Challenge?
The Blue Whale Challenge is reportedly an online ‘game’ that requires its players to perform
certain tasks, many of which involve self-mutilation and other dangerous activities. The final
task of this challenge requires committing suicide. Needless to say, this game has attracted
the attention of authorities across the globe, as almost twenty countries have been affected
by the same. The game attract mostly teenagers and young adults, people who are more
susceptible to online influences, and attempts to create an air of unworthiness and
uselessness around them. Some reports have surfaced that claims the game requires the
player to submit sensitive data before commencing, which the administrators then use to
blackmail the players in case they try to back out of the game. The veracity of this claim has
not yet been confirmed, but it has also given rise to the rumor that downloading the fame
injects malware into the system that infects files and steals sensitive data.
Budeikin’s arrest
The Blue Whale Challenge, since its inception of spread across the world, has stirred up a
number of controversies. A Russian man named Philipp Bedecking was arrested in Russia,
after which he confessed to have incited the suicide of at least 16 underage girls in his
country. He claimed to be one of the administrators of the game who set the task and
coordinated the completion of the same by the participants. According to Budeikin, he had
pushed those girls to suicide because he had deemed that their lives had no value in the
greater scheme of things. His arrest and subsequent confession caused widespread
concern in Russia, prompting the authorities to take notice and pass the suicide prevention
legislation.
Target demographic
The Blue Whale Challenge has since spread in many parts of the world, claiming many lives
and injuring many more. The key players are usually teenagers and young adults, that is,
people who are susceptible to influences from someone apparently powerful. Since
teenagers are mostly in a place in their lives that makes them feel out of place and unable
to fit in within their surroundings, finding acceptance is difficult at this age. And, when a
teenager finds acceptance, no matter how negative that is, he or she is likely to become
highly influenced and get under the spell of the accepting party. This mentality appears to
be the control switch that the administrators of the Blue Whale Challenge use.
Parental control
The Blue Whale Challenge points at issues far wider than young people committing suicide,
although that is a disconcerting matter in its own right. It points at the free internet usage of
young people and the dangers associated with it, which is, as it turns out, a far greater
social problem than we originally supposed. It is important for parents to monitor their
children’s internet usage, make note of what they are surfing and the kind of games they
are playing, and follow whom they are speaking to. 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.
Helpline for kids
The challenge points to yet another poignant social issue. In most families, teen angst is
usually dismissed as normal hormonal changes. The 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. Things
have, thankfully, changed somewhat in the wake of the Blue Whale Challenge. 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. 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.
