Keep your kids safe from ‘Momo’

Wake-uppers:

Scene:  Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol re-launched on Saturday the Bohol Fish Market and TienDA at the APC Grounds in Barangay Dao in Tagbilaran City. Piñol said it aimed to promote locally produce agri-fishery products, provide market access and bring down the rising prices of basic commodities especially fish products.

Scene: JP Maslog posted on Facebook: The LGU-Panglao acted swiftly to address the illegal structures at Virgin Island. After a coordinated meeting with the Coastal Resource Management, the Municipal DILG and the concerned vendors, the latter voluntarily agreed to remove/detach and demolish the structures at the famous sand bar. Just this morning a team composed of the Coastal Resource Management (CRM),Municipal Engineering, Municipal DILG,PNP-Panglao and Bohol Tourist Pulis Unit inspected the area and was very satisfied with the quick action and result. 

Scene: Rima Aumentado on the sudden death of Bohol’s tattoo and graffiti artist Dexter Bustrillos: May your Soul Rest In Peace Sir. You are such a Good Friend and a Humble Person, despite of all the Achievements and Success that you have right now. We are not that close but you are so respectful magtagbo bisag asa sa ICM or molabay ka diri sa balay ky silingan ra lage sad ta mo smile gyud ka. You are a very family-oriented person, ky bisag unsa ka busy sa Shop you still managed to find time with your family esp your girls (daughters). You are very humble and down to earth kay sharing kayka sa imo blessings esp sa imong natabangan na mga Tattoo Artists. Bootan kaayo. Shocking Sad News but God has a purpose for everything. May you rest in peace Sir Dex. 

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Schools have issued warnings about
 the Momo challenge, after the grotesque
doll with bulging eyes associated
with the suicide game has been
reportedly seen in the social media.  Internet Photo

Bedtime stories are a beautiful part of our childhood memories. As kids, we have lived all those amazing tales of courage, adventure, thrills and fun, but the ones which remain etched in our memories are the “mumo” (ghost) stories and other scary tales that our grandparents and parents told us.

The “mumo” stories were not meant for very young children who could be frightened more than they should be.

But earlier this week, "Momo" was a top new trending search term on Google for the US, Australia, Canada and the UK.

My friend Jessa Ylanan, a former journalist, shared that her friends were alarmed when their children were talking about “Momo” that someone had managed to scare their children into hurting themselves.

Momo Challenge is the latest viral concern /social media fad/urban legend going around Facebook parenting groups and schools. Authorities described it as a "suicide game".

The game, which involves a terrifying doll with grotesque features, works by getting young children and teenagers to message a specific phone number and then follow the instructions texted to them. 

The orders become increasingly violent and dangerous, including instructions to threaten others and self-harm. The children are threatened if they refuse to comply.

My assistant Helen Castano shared that her neighbors in Lamdagan thanked that their kids are not hooked on gadgets. They added In jest, ‘Maayo gani kay dili kasabot og English among mga anak kay English man kaha ang instruction anang Momo.”

Whatever it is, Ylanan said that the most terrifying aspect of the Momo Challenge is that as much as parents are trying to protect their children  from the slightest danger, somehow, right under their noses, people are still able to get to them.

National Online Safety has released tips (later adapted by the PNP-Cybercrime Group) on how to keep your child safe from the Momo challenge.

1. Tell them it's not real.  Just like any urban legend or horror story, the concept can be quite frightening and distressing for young people. Whilst this may seem obvious, it’s important for you to reiterate to your child that Momo is not a real person and cannot directly harm them. Also, tell your child to not go openly searching for this content online as it may only cause more distress.

2. Be present. It’s important for you, as a parent or carer, to be present while your children are online. This will give you a greater understanding of what they are doing on their devices, as well as providing you with the opportunity to discuss, support and stop certain activities that your child may be involved in. As the nature of each task become progressively worse it’s also important to recognize any changes in your child’s behavior.

3.Talk regularly. As well as monitoring your child’s activity, it’s important for you discuss it with them too.

Not only will this give you an understanding of their online actions, but those honest and frequent conversations will encourage your child to feel confident to discuss issues and concerns they may have related to the online world.

4.Device settings and parental controls. Ensure that you set up parental controls for your devices at home. This will help to restrict the types of content that your child can view, as well as help you to monitor their activity. In addition to this, it’s vital that you are aware of your device and account settings to ensure your child’s utmost safety. For example, on YouTube you can turn off ‘suggested auto-play’ on videos to stop your child from viewing content that they have not directly selected.

5.Peer pressure. Trends and viral challenges can be tempting for children to take part in; no matter how dangerous or scary they seem. Make sure you talk to your child about how they shouldn’t succumb to peer pressure and do anything they are not comfortable with, online or offline. If they are unsure, encourage them to talk to you or another trusted adult.

6.Real or hoax.  As a parent it is natural to feel worried about certain things you see online that may be harmful to your child. However, not everything you see online is true. Check the validity of the source and be mindful of what you share as it may only cause more worry.

7.Report and block. You can’t always rely on parental controls to block distressing or harmful material. People find ways around a platform’s algorithm in order to share and promote this type of material. Due to this, we advise that you flag and report any material you deem to be inappropriate or harmful as soon as you come across it. You should also block the account/content to prevent your child from viewing it.

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