Online game challenges participants to commit suicide

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NORWICH, Conn. (WFSB) There is a warning for parents about a sick online game that encourages participants to engage in dangerous behavior, including taking one’s own life.

The game has become well-known, and now Connecticut school districts are addressing it.

It’s called the Blue Whale Challenge, an online game, but there’s no winner in this game.

Participants are assigned challenges that put their lives at risk and are to be completed over a 50-day period.

The challenges start off somewhat harmless, like watching a horror movie, but quickly escalate to more risk-taking ones like dangling off a roof.

All of this leads up to the final challenge, one that encourages the person to commit suicide.

“What I learned about it, it’s very dangerous, a kind of download for your iPhone which most students have, that once you’re in it, really, it’s hard to get out,” said Norwich Superintendent of Schools Abby Doliver.

Her office found out about the deadly game from police and a superintendent’s group.

“What we did is send messages home to our parents of our middle school students, we don’t have our own high school to tell them about the game to ask them to be watching students iPhone, which we do encourage them to do that anyway,” Doliver said.

Jill Cuff has three school-age children, including one who attends the middle school. She said she constantly monitors what they watch on TV and online.

“Yes, we are constantly talking to our children about consequences and doing the right thing land being careful about who they talk to because you just don’t know, it’s scary,” Cuff said.

This was the second suicide-related letter sent to parents recently. Last week, one was sent out about the controversial Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why.”

Psychologist Laura Saunders, of Hartford Hospital, offered some tips for parents, saying they should:

  • Talk to their children about how dangerous this game is
  • Watch for changes in their child’s behavior
  • Ask questions about friends
  • Monitor what children are watching on TV and online

The online suicide game started in Russia back in March.

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