Blue Whale Challenge: what is it? Easily explained
The Internet phenomenon Blue Whale Challenge or also Blue Whale Game is getting more and more in the focus of interest. We'll tell you exactly what this challenge is in this practical tip.
Blue Whale Challenge: what is it? Easily explained
What exactly is behind the Blue Whale Challenge is rather opaque. In addition, it is not really sure whether this supposed game really exists on the net (see below).
- The name of this unpleasant internet phenomenon is said to be derived from a legend that blue whales occasionally choose to commit suicide by heading for a beach and dying there. Accordingly, the participants in the Blue Whale Challenges are said to have carved a whale in the palm of their hand as a sign of identification.
- The suicide of the game participants should also be the declared goal of the Blue Whale Challenge. After the participant has passed a number of extremely strange challenges, the last task is to kill himself.
- So far, the Blue Whale Challenge is said to be primarily a Russian phenomenon. The strange game probably started over the Russian network Vkontakte, the counterpart to Facebook. Therefore, mainly Russian youngsters are said to have taken part in the 50-day challenge. However, the Blue Whale Challenge is said to spill over to the Baltic States and Western Europe and the United States.
- The Blue Whale Challenge is of course not a game in the classic sense. The participant chats with a stranger and is assigned 50 tasks by him. The level of difficulty of the individual tasks should range from harmless to extremely borderline. For example, young people are asked to watch certain films, climb on the roof of a house in the middle of the night, talk to nobody for a day, or injure themselves.
- According to various Russian reports, between 90 and 130 young people have already died as a result of participating in the Blue Whale Challenges. However, it is doubtful whether these reports are correct.
- The question of whether the players were driven to suicide by this macabre internet phenomenon, or whether they were very unstable young people who had explicitly searched for unusual suicide options online, has also not yet been clarified.
Blue Whale Challenge on WhatsApp, on the Internet and co.
Since this is a web phenomenon, the tasks are mainly spread through the network and social networks.
- The challenge originally appeared in the Russian network Vkontakte.
- But the game was also encountered in other places on the Internet.
- For example, the tasks were posted on Reddit.
- The game also spills over to Germany via WhatsApp.
- Due to the high level of attention, the game will probably spread even further.
What's really going on in the challenge?
- The Oberbayern Süd police warns of the challenge, which receives attention primarily through massive reporting and is thus spread even further.
- In the meantime, however, the website operators of Russian and Austrian forums have reported that the challenge is said to have taken place. They make it clear that there has never been a challenge like this.
- All reports on this phenomenon are based on false reports. Since the media cite each other, it is difficult to find out the origin of the hoax. But the fact is that there is no whale challenge.
- This is problematic, however, because reporting can give free-riders the idea of emulating the challenge. A mother from Zweibrücken reportedly reported to the police because her daughter had received an anonymous message regarding the challenge. Warnings before the game should be heeded. The tasks and the challenge should not be followed / pursued.
- There has been a confirmed death in the United States. A 15-year-old teenager is said to have hanged himself in his closet, according to various US media. He is said to have been threatened by "teammates".
This is behind the blue whale "game"
Euronews reported on the "inventor" behind the Blue Whale Challenge.
- According to the news site, the "inventor" of the "Philippe Budeikin" (aka Philippe Lis) challenge in the Vkontakte network tried to convince two users to commit suicide.
- A court in Tobolsk (Russia) is said to have sentenced the 21-year-old to three years and four months in prison, according to Euronews.
You can find help here
In this case, we decided to report on a suicide topic. Here it can happen that some people feel confirmed by these reports that life has little meaning. If you experience this, please contact the telephone counseling service immediately.
- You can find support on free hotlines such as 0800 1110111 or 0800 3344533.
- Children and adolescents can find help anonymously at the number against grief at 116 111.
- Parents can contact 0800 111 0 550.
Another Internet phenomenon that is currently causing a sensation on the Internet is much less dangerous. If you are bored, just take a look at the Facebook stories.