MINNEAPOLIS — The internet is at it again. The Momo Challenge is making fresh rounds, thanks to new posts warning against it being shared on social media.
This is how the challenge supposedly goes. Kids are encouraged to contact this person named "Momo" on Whatsapp, and Momo forces them to take challenges or dares that get increasingly dangerous and harmful.
There are reports that those challenges could even lead to encouraging suicide. However, this is the point where we need to step back and analyze those claims.
Ben Nesvig, a social media strategist at The Social Lights says he's not surprised Momo is viral again. He says it has several elements that make a successful post.
"It was a simple specific example, the image is really shocking and attention-grabbing," Nesvig said. "It's almost straight nightmare-fuel."
The image of Momo though, is actually of a sculpture made by a Japanese artist. How it ended up becoming the Momo icon--is not clear.
Also, Nesvig says the Momo Challenge involves a lot of emotion.
"Fear and it could be anger by some parents," Nesvig said. "People don't share anything unless they feel something."
And sometimes, he explains, our efforts to help by sharing something on social media may achieve the opposite effect.
"There can definitely be a fear-mongering to it, almost like a Streisand effect, where by wanting something to not happen you might end up encouraging it," Nesvig said.
And other viral posts on social media claiming that Momo is terrorizing "Peppa Pig" or Fortnite, or other kids' programming on YouTube, have not been verified.
YouTube released this statement in response:
"Contrary to press reports, we've not received any recent evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube. Content of this kind would be in violation of our policies and removed immediately."
At this point, both Minneapolis and St. Paul police say they haven't heard of Momo cases.