The Momo Challenge was urging children to harm themselves
| The Momo Challenge was urging children to harm themselves | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "A sinister character called Momo was hijacking children's videos on YouTube and WhatsApp to instruct children to perform dangerous tasks and harm themselves." | |
| Domain | Technology & Media |
| Tactic | Fabrication False Context |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2018 |
| Origin | Viral warnings on social media, including a February 2019 Facebook post by a local police service in Northern Ireland, which spread through parenting groups and news coverage in the UK and elsewhere |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-27 |
| Further reading: books on Technology & Media | |
The claim that the Momo Challenge was urging children to harm themselves caused a wave of panic in early 2019. Warnings said that a frightening figure with bulging eyes and a wide grin was appearing in videos and messages, directing children to carry out a series of increasingly dangerous challenges. Schools sent letters home, celebrities shared warnings, and news outlets ran alarmed stories. Child safety organizations, including the UK Safer Internet Centre, the NSPCC and Samaritans, said they had no evidence that the challenge had caused any child to harm themselves. YouTube said it had found no evidence of videos promoting the challenge on its platform. The image itself was a photograph of a sculpture called "Mother Bird," made by a Japanese special-effects company.
What the evidence shows
- Origin of the image. The figure was a sculpture created by artist Keisuke Aiso of the company Link Factory and displayed at a Tokyo gallery in 2016. It had nothing to do with any challenge.
- 2018 rumors. Earlier reports, in 2018, linked Momo to WhatsApp accounts and to deaths in Latin America, but police reports did not confirm these links.
- No verified cases. In 2019, child safety groups and fact-checkers found no confirmed cases of children harmed because of the challenge.
- Counterproductive warnings. Experts warned that the panic itself spread the frightening image to children who had never seen it.
- Real concerns. Child safety experts said the episode was a reminder to supervise children online, without needing a specific scary story.
Why it persists
Momo fit a pattern of moral panics about children and new media. Parents shared warnings out of fear, and news coverage gave the story legitimacy. The frightening image made the story highly shareable.
Lessons for readers
- Warnings can spread a scare faster than the supposed threat.
- Ask for confirmed cases before sharing alarming claims.
- Images can be taken out of context and attached to new stories.
- Child safety advice works best when it addresses real, common risks.
See also
- The Blue Whale Challenge drove teenagers to suicide
- Strangers poison children's Halloween candy
- Satanic ritual abuse at the McMartin Preschool
Sources
- Jim Waterson, The Guardian reporting on the Momo challenge, February 28, 2019.
- Taylor Lorenz, "Momo Is as Real as We've Made Her," The Atlantic, February 28, 2019.