You are not alone if you wonder why such a beautiful creature like the Blue Whale has been associated with a horrific phenomenon hitting the teens all over the world. The name comes from the tendency of beached whales, linked to suicide.
The Blue Whale Challenge is a game on social media that gives players a series of 50 quests, with the final task asking them to commit suicide. The game also asks players to send proof of completion of each task as photographs.
The tasks can be as horrible as watching horror movies at unusual hours to inflicting self-harm, and they gradually escalate to more traumatic results. No wonder, the person gets conditioned to the terror and becomes habituated to the game, without realizing that they are actually being manipulated by a sadist game administrator.
(Image Credit: Youtube)
It was under such tragic conditions that a Mumbai boy, Manpreet Sahans from Andheri East, committed suicide in the first such case in India. Earlier the game has cost young lives in Russia and other countries.
Imagine the trauma of the parents who later saw the pictures the boy had sent on social media just before the suicide with his feet dangling over the terrace parapet. The photo was captioned, “Soon the only thing you would be left with is a picture of me.”
As the story unravels of the boy actively informing his friends on social media for twenty minutes before committing the act, and even taking a selfie with a man on the opposite building who kept requesting him to stop. Manpreet jumped when he saw the man leave from his place to come and save him.
If there is a case that highlights the power and influence of social media, this is it. It is a necessary reminder that we should not become slaves to technology, but use it as a change catalyst for betterment.
Social media and its predators can be dangerous influence on young minds. We need to beware of their power. It is also a reminder to listen when someone is sending out distress signals. We are often so desensitized amidst the noise of daily drama that we fail to recognize the voice seeking help.
