The Momo Challenge—Whether Real or Fake: How to Talk to Your Kids About it

If you’ve seen the news or been on social media recently, chances are you’ve seen stories about the Momo Challenge.

As the co-founder of Axis, a ministry for parents and teens dedicated to empowering the next generation to think clearly and critically about what they believe and to take ownership of their faith, we make it a point to stay on top of the latest trends involving our kids. Here is information on the latest, disturbing “challenge” and what we can do to help our kids be aware and safe.

What is the Momo Challenge?

It’s an online challenge that targets teens, tweens and even younger children (via snippets in YouTube Kids videos). The challenge encourages kids to contact an unknown person called Momo (represented by a sculpture of a woman with a gaunt face, bulging eyes, and creepy smile) via WhatsApp or Facebook primarily.

The Momo account then sends them violent and graphic images and texts telling them to engage in various “challenges” that start out small and strange, then escalate to harming themselves and others, possibly culminating in the final challenge of committing suicide.

In order to prove they are completing the challenges, kids are supposed to send photographic or video evidence of them completing the tasks. If they ever try to stop, the Momo account threatens to expose them and/or harm them and their loved…