Julie Ramey
The Internet can be a beautiful place. It’s full of many things that bring people joy, such as Youtube videos, music, social media and online games. With the simple, harmless things that flood the Internet, also come dark things that hide in the unlikeliest of places. What is somewhere you would never expect to find something that instructs a child to commit suicidal and homicidal actions? A toy review made for children. The Momo Challenge is a dark “game” that is hidden in content suited for children. Common videos that have been reported to include the challenge are, Fortnite videos, Peppa Pig clips, and toy reviews.To many, it seems like a creepy face, but let’s find out what’s behind the dangerous challenge.
The Look Of Momo
The image of Momo is a bit creepy, most of us can agree on that. The image is a photograph of a sculpture created by artist Keisuke Aiso. The sculpture was created in 2016 to be displayed in an exhibit known as the Vanilla Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. The original name for the artwork was “Mother Bird”. Asio had reported that the sculpture had rotted away and no longer existed. For a look into more artwork from the Vanilla Gallery, check out the link here, who knows one day you might be seeing them pop up in your feed as the next viral challenge.
The Legend of Momo
The legend of the image starts dates back to July 14, 2018. The challenge was first talked about by the Youtuber, GloomyHouse. The influencer spoke about phone numbers that can be used to contact “Momo” via Whatsapp. Many of the people behind these Momo accounts have linked it to the urban legend of La Llorona. The urban legend tells of a woman who drowned her children in anger. The woman, Maria, is said to be out to seek revenge for her children never returning in death. The Momo Challenge is linked to this urban legend and is said that “Maria” is behind the character Momo. I think we can all agree that there is a scientific explanation to this and is not the ghost of the weeping woman.
Why?
There could be many different reasons people are trying to put the danger of others at risk while being behind the Momo Challenge. Many people see it as a joke, but young people hurting themselves or others is not a joke. Nobody knows who is behind these sick games. The United States estimates there over 2,000 serial killers on the run today, so you will never know who you are messing with. It could be anybody, a teenager looking to scare someone or an adult intent on causing chaos and tragedy.
If you come across any kind of media or person trying to convince you or its audience to do harmful things to yourself or others, report it. If the harassment continues, call your local police department. It’s better safe than sorry.