Officials Warn Residents Of 'Blue Whale Challenge' Linked To Teen Suicides

Local officials have issued a warning to parents and teenagers in response to a new social media "game" that has been linked to the suicides of numerous teens in Russia.

The game is known as the "Blue Whale Challenge" and is played through private group messages across different social media websites.

The game lasts a total of 50 days and requires teens to complete 50 tasks given by an administrator.

The tasks range from watching horror movies to waking during strange hours of the night and self-harming.

On the last day, teens are instructed by administrators to delete all the previous messages and posts from their social media accounts before committing suicide.

“This is a deadly game affecting teenagers and their families overseas,” Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said. “With technology and social media sites so prevalent in our lives, it has become easier for these types of cyber threats to occur."

So far in the U.S., no deaths have been linked to the game. However, officials encourage parents to closely monitor their teens' internet activity.

According to the Russian Federal Security Bureau, a 21-year- old Russian man has been arrested for serving as an administrator of the Blue Whale group, responsible for encouraging 17 girls, ranging from ages 12-16, to take their lives.

The man, who has been identified as Philipp Budeikin, confessed to the crime and told police that he was "cleansing society" of what he calls "biological waste," according to a report in the DailyMail.

"He started in 2013 and ever since he has polished his tactics and corrected his mistakes," Anton Breido, a senior official from the Investigative Committee, told the DailyMail. "Philipp and his aides at first attracted children into [social media] groups by using mega-scary videos. Their task was to attract as many children as possible, then figure out those who would be the most affected by psychological manipulation."

In Russia, a total of 130 suicides have potentially been linked to the Blue Whale group, but some are skeptical that the game is really to blame.

“Across the entire planet, we haven’t seen anything specifically investigated and proven to be related to it,” Dr Sameer Hinduja, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida Atlantic University and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, told The Irish Times. "But, he said, because “everyone is freaked out about it and panic stricken about it, and talking about it."

Police believe the suicide of a 13-year-old boy in Ireland was connected to the game, The Sun reports.

A 12-year-old Mississippi girl was discovered to have participated in the game after her mother found deleted photos in her phone including one of the phrase 'F57' carved in her thigh, according to a report in ABC Action News.

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