MIAMI (WSVN) - The Miami-Dade County Public Schools district has issued a warning regarding the “Momo Challenge” hoax.
The Momo Challenge initially surfaced in 2016, but has seen a resurgence recently. The challenge involves a ghoulish character named Momo that appears in children’s YouTube videos or contacts them through apps like WhatsApp. The character reportedly promotes suicide and tries to get children to partake in acts that could result in injury or death.
It is important to note that many reports indicate the challenge is nothing more than a hoax, and there have been no confirmed reports of anyone being harmed from the challenge.
YouTube has even said in a statement that they have not seen any evidence to the challenge in recent times.
“Many of you have shared your concerns with us over the past few days about the Momo Challenge–we’ve been paying close attention to these reports,” YouTube said. “After much review, we’ve seen no recent evidence of videos promoting the Momo Challenge on YouTube. Videos encouraging harmful and dangerous challenges are clearly against our policies, the Momo challenge included. Despite press reports of this challenge surfacing, we haven’t had any recent links flagged or shared with us from YouTube that violate our Community Guidelines.”
However, school officials fear there may be “copycat” videos circulating on the internet. As a result, officials said they feel it’s important that parents and guardians are aware of the challenge.
“The safety and well-being of Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ students are of paramount importance. As such, we take every precaution to alert parents and responsible caregivers whenever we become aware of any possible dangers or concerns that may impact children,” the district said in a statement, Thursday.
The district’s superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, took to Twitter, to reinforce the warning.
With digital technology being so readily available these days, parents are being reminded to continuously monitor their children’s screen time. #SafetyFirstMDCPS https://t.co/3yCxgmVta6
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@LAUSDSup) March 1, 2019
Other school districts and police departments across the country have voiced their fear that there may be people on the internet trying to capitalize on the trend, despite its falsehood.
While we believe there's no solid evidence that MOMO videos exist, stay informed. Others may perpetuate this fear through social media, bullying, etc. Monitor your child's online activity, but #dontletfearwin. @AustinISD @aisdparents @natonlinesafety pic.twitter.com/acMJYl0M1Q
— Austin ISD Police (@AISDPolice) February 28, 2019
“We highly recommend that this be used as an opportunity to talk to children about peer pressure, responsible internet use, and the importance of reporting suspicious and/or bizarre online content to an adult,” MDCPS said. “Additionally, it is recommended that parents and guardians take time to set and/or review parental controls on children’s electronic devices, as well as those they may have access to in the home. ”
MDCPS recommends that those who encounter any video with questionable content flag it or report it. For instructions on how to flag YouTube videos, click here.
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