The whale in the room

What was once associated with a harmless marine mammal is now synonymous with a sinister online game that has been claiming lives of teenagers and children around the globe. The ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ is a dare-based online game that requires the user to complete 50 tasks - ranging from listening a certain kind of music sent by the curator at unearthly hours to watching horror movies all day to finally taking one’s own life.

The game’s devastating consequences are being seen everywhere and it has renewed a fiery debate about cyber safety and insecurities of children.

“I feel very strongly about digital media and the games you find there because I work extensively with children and know how vulnerable they are,” says Urmila Chanam, a social worker and activist. “There are children who come from broken or disturbed families and there are those with extremely busy parents. Unknowingly, we share the same ‘adult’ space with them without realising that they don’t have the mental capacity to see things as we do.”

“The game is nursing an aspect of the kids’ insecurity that their parents can’t address. Children have many issues, like peer pressure and bullying, which they may not have anyone to share with. So taking up the challenges in this game becomes a way for them to validate themselves,” she adds.

Monisha Dhanraj, a security engineer, agrees with the fact that the root cause of the problem lies at home. “It is no more about the game. We need to understand why our children are so vulnerable and so depressed. Bonding within the family is the need of the hour. Parents and children alike should set aside their gadgets and have face-to-face interactions which are meaningful.”

 The deadly game was created by a 22-year-old Russian named Philipp Budeikin who has confessed that he was directly responsible for at least 17 teenagers in Russia committing suicide. Budeikin was arrested in May this year and was sentenced to three years in prison.

 A prospective player - adults and teenagers alike - use certain hashtags on social media platforms to show their interest in taking up the challenge. The players and curators converse on social media or even WhatsApp and the curators assign tasks to the players. Precisely because of the hazy knowledge regarding the working of this, the call for a ban may not be practical.

“Once it is leaked online, multiple copies are available, especially on the darknet. So it will not be possible to take it down completely,” notes Monisha. The government has now asked Internet majors like Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo to remove links of this deadly game from their platforms with immediate effect.

 While the tech experts wrack their heads about how to tackle this new cyber threat, there are many ways in which the spread of this can be countered and most of these begin at home.

“Parents should watch out for certain warning signs and changes in the behaviour of their children,” says Praison Jose, a transaction risk specialist at Amazon.

“Youngsters getting withdrawn and showing a sudden affinity for their smartphones or computers is a red flag. Contrary to what many adults feel, the world indoors is not much safer now.

A tendency to carve images onto their bodies using sharp instruments should not be dismissed as a tattoo fad and parents should spend quality time with children instead of allowing them to remain with their gadgets all day.

Teachers should sensitise youngsters early on about the dangers and possible threats from not just this game but the internet in general and they should try and involve withdrawn children into as many social activities as possible,” he adds.