Momo again （・⊝・）
I thought that I'd just comment a little more on the Momo controversy, specifically on the excessive amount of attention it has received on social media and news oultets.
I'm gonna go ahead and say that there is no danger associated specifically with the Momo challenge. What likely started as a hoax was implicated in a couple of unfortunate events, and from there developed into a presumed online hazard, with little to no evidence to support the alleged danger.
There is no shortage of news and social media warnings about the Momo challenge, and even parental guides for how to deal specifically with Momo, but I question the fixation on Momo in the vast sea of unregulated online content that might also cause mental health problems.
The problem with the attention Momo is getting, is that, in seemingly a lot of cases, "Momo" is thought of as an isolated case; that "Momo" somehow spreads fear and causes suicidal thoughts in young internet users by itself. For some, this "danger" seems to take precedence over other, potentially greater, challenges of the internet.
Cyberspace is vast, and children, as well as older vulnerable individuals, may get lost exploring the caves and crevices of the online realms. There is no doubt about the presence of dangerous content in cyberspace, especially so when it comes to kids who may not be able to differentiate a meme, be that an image or a video, from a real threat. However, Momo's terrifying gaze and (alleged) malicious instructions represent only a tiny fraction of weird and potentially harmful online content and creepypasta.
I'm gonna go ahead and say that there is no danger associated specifically with the Momo challenge. What likely started as a hoax was implicated in a couple of unfortunate events, and from there developed into a presumed online hazard, with little to no evidence to support the alleged danger.
There is no shortage of news and social media warnings about the Momo challenge, and even parental guides for how to deal specifically with Momo, but I question the fixation on Momo in the vast sea of unregulated online content that might also cause mental health problems.
The problem with the attention Momo is getting, is that, in seemingly a lot of cases, "Momo" is thought of as an isolated case; that "Momo" somehow spreads fear and causes suicidal thoughts in young internet users by itself. For some, this "danger" seems to take precedence over other, potentially greater, challenges of the internet.
Cyberspace is vast, and children, as well as older vulnerable individuals, may get lost exploring the caves and crevices of the online realms. There is no doubt about the presence of dangerous content in cyberspace, especially so when it comes to kids who may not be able to differentiate a meme, be that an image or a video, from a real threat. However, Momo's terrifying gaze and (alleged) malicious instructions represent only a tiny fraction of weird and potentially harmful online content and creepypasta.
Whatever danger the Momo challenge poses is not exclusive to Momo. Mental health problems are a huge obstacle for some, and the Momo challenge may indeed pose a danger for vulnerable individuals, as well as for children. However the same could be said of thousands of other images and videos online. The is no way that blaming Momo is going to help create a safer online environment. Mental health issues are complex and may have many causes.
The way I see it, the controversy surrounding Momo is only a symptom of the much larger problem that is mental health and the internet. However I doubt the solution is actually online. I also doubt the severity of the problem, as kids have always had something to be scared of. A couple hundred years ago children feared forest trolls, today its internet trolls. The difference is how parents today may not understand how the internet operates, which may be intimidating in itself, and it may inhibit their ability to properly attend and guide their kids.
I guess that's just my opnion though ┐(‘～`；)┌
The way I see it, the controversy surrounding Momo is only a symptom of the much larger problem that is mental health and the internet. However I doubt the solution is actually online. I also doubt the severity of the problem, as kids have always had something to be scared of. A couple hundred years ago children feared forest trolls, today its internet trolls. The difference is how parents today may not understand how the internet operates, which may be intimidating in itself, and it may inhibit their ability to properly attend and guide their kids.
I guess that's just my opnion though ┐(‘～`；)┌
I recommend David Mikkelson's article on snopes.com for more info:
https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/02/26/momo-challenge-suicide-game/
https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/02/26/momo-challenge-suicide-game/
- Mikkel
MOMO is not for the poor, vulnerable souls! When you know how it works, its actually not that scary, but for the youth it may seem like the opposite. They probably have no idea, that it may perhaps we a friend behind the screen trying to scare you :-o
ReplyDeleteHow can we use the internet and cyberspace to combat issues regarding mental health? There will always be momo-challenges and Cinnamon-Challenges (remember those?) on the internet, just as there are "spirit in the glass" and "Bloody Mary" outside the realms of the internet. When we already grant kids and teenagers access to the internet, maybe we should also teach kids to be critical and to fact-check and how to sort out fake news from the real news.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Søren here. It's not the Internet itself that is the problem (as I read, that's not your point entirely either, Mikkel), neither is the solution ONLY to be found online.. The way I see it is that it barely makes sense to differentiate between the digital and the analogue "world". That's actually one if the issues in any discourse regarding peoples usage of the internet - because, most of us (in the Western world anyway) is almost ALWAYS online in one way or another.. Some researchers say how the internet is functioning as an extension of us humans (quite literally with smartphones, smartwatches, chips under the skin and so forth).
ReplyDeleteWhere was I going with this?
Oh yeah, so nuances, looking at it (digital vs. analogue life) more uhm, intertwined I would say, whether we're talking about boogieman phenomena such as MOMO or positive, supportive communities.
In terms of mental health, it would be to make sure people can reach out for support via eg. suicide hotlines, free chat with counselors etc. and for the parents to have a more open attitude towards their children/teenagers life on the internet - and treat it largely the same as you would treat any other "analogue" issue.