"Blue Whale: Teenagers most vulnerable," Tamil Nadu issues advisory
Following the suo moto case in the Madras High Court, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday issued an advisory to citizens over the Blue Whale Challenge. The advisory spells out what signs to look out for to identify if children, especially between 12 and 19 years of age, are victims of the online game. This is the government's first effort at creating awareness about the suicide game.
The Department of Information of the Tamil Nadu secretariat released a note explaining what the Blue Whale Game in all about and why attention needs to be paid to changes in children's attitudes. Highlighting the death of a teenager from Madurai, the Tamil Nadu government has appealed to the people to stay vigilant but not spread panic about the game.
What is the Blue Whale Challenge all about
The advisory attempts to explain what the game is all about and how access is gained.
Blue
Whale
Challenge
is
not
an
application
based
game
It
is
not
easily
downloadable
from
websites
It
can't
be
downloaded
from
official
play
stores
It
involves
performing
activities
Activities
are
assigned
by
the
administrator
or
curator
The
curator
is
part
of
a
closed
group
social
media
forum
The
forum
includes
online
gaming
groups
Forums
can
also
be
on
message
boards
and
online
community
messaging
areas
Meant
to
target
people
and
deliberately
induce
vulnerable
teenagers
Teenagers
asked
to
complete
tasks
over
a
period
of
50
days
Suicide
is
the
final
task
The advisory has also indicated behavioral changes that need to be noticed and addressed
Children
who
play
such
online
games
tend
to
stay
by
themselves
They
stop
interacting
with
family
and
friends
They
often
talk
about
running
away
from
home
They
could
talk
even
about
death
Changes
in
their
eating,
sleeping
habits
Moodiness
Less
or
no
communication
Lack
of
interest
in
studies
and
falling
grades
What is to be done?
Parents
and
teachers
are
advised
to
notice
changes
in
child's
behavior
Stop
them
from
using
the
internet
from
any
devices
Inform
the
local
police
authorities
about
the
incident
Provide
psychological
counseling
to
the
player
Seek
help
from
government
hospitals
or
NGOs
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