"Blue Whale" (Russian: Си́ний кит, romanized: Siniy kit), also known as the "Blue Whale Challenge", is a social network phenomenon dating from 2016 that is claimed to exist in several countries. It is a "game" reportedly consisting of a series of tasks assigned to players by administrators over a 50-day period, initially innocuous before introducing elements of self-harm and the final challenge requiring the player to kill themselves.[1][2]
"Blue Whale" first attracted news coverage in May 2016 in an article in the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta that linked many unrelated child suicides to membership of group "F57" on the Russian-based VK social network.[3] A wave of moral panic swept Russia.[4] However, the piece was later criticised for attempting to make a causal link where none existed, and none of the suicides were found to be a result of the group activities.[4][5][6] Claims of suicides connected to the game have been reported worldwide, but none have been confirmed.[7][8][9]
The game has reportedly been banned in some countries, including Egypt,[10] Kenya[11] and Pakistan.[12] However, experts have stated that it is difficult or even impossible to ban the game.[13][14][15]
^"Blue Whale: Should you be worried about online pressure groups?". BBC News. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12.
^"Teen 'Suicide Games' Send Shudders Through Russian-Speaking World". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Archived from the original on 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
^Mursaliyeva, Galina (2016-05-16). "Группы смерти (18+)" [Death Groups (18+)]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2016-10-03. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
^ ab"FACT CHECK: 'Blue Whale' Game Responsible for Dozens of Suicides in Russia?". 27 February 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference cyber20217 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference uksafer2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference BBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference RFE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Mbrd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Egypt bans Blue Whale 'social media suicide game'".
^"Kenya bans 'Blue Whale' game after teen commits suicide".
^"Blue Whale and Momo challenge banned in Pakistan". 2 September 2018.
^"Blue whale game: Here's why experts think it is not possible to ban the Blue Whale Challenge - the Economic Times". The Economic Times. 6 August 2017.
^"Why banning Blue Whale game is not easy". 23 April 2018.
^"Not possible to block Blue Whale game, Centre tells Supreme Court". The Times of India. 15 June 2023.
and 24 Related for: Blue Whale Challenge information
"BlueWhale" (Russian: Си́ний кит, romanized: Siniy kit), also known as the "BlueWhaleChallenge", is a social network phenomenon dating from 2016 that...
about a new internet phenomenon promoting self-harm similar to the BlueWhaleChallenge surfaced in July 2018, followed in August by news items reporting...
than with others. In 2019, internet challenges that involved self-harm, such as the "Momo" and "BlueWhale" challenges, created widespread coverage online...
starring Lee Si-eon, Kim Sung-cheol and Heo Ga-yoon. Inspired by the BlueWhaleChallenge, it was released on April 15, 2020. A trainee policeman, a job seeker...
school class. The teenagers struggle with bullying, including the BlueWhaleChallenge, lack of parental support, suicidal behaviour, LGBT identity crises—a...
cyberbullying and was inspired by real events drawing inspiration from BlueWhaleChallenge. The series unravels story of ninth-grade student Martin Biederman...
under similar circumstances, the police suspect connections to the BlueWhaleChallenge and extramarital affairs. Investigations lead them to a woman named...
eating disorders Right to die Suicide prevention Suicide is Painless BlueWhaleChallenge Lo, Ping-cheung (1999), "Confucian Ethic of Death with Dignity and...
with the MLA, it is revealed that the driver is a victim of the BlueWhaleChallenge and is about to commit suicide as his fiftieth and final task. The...
alcohol consumption is more of a factor than economic conditions. BlueWhaleChallenge, an online suicide game invented in Russia linked to many youth suicides...
psychological and social risk factors. Medicine portal Psychology portal BlueWhaleChallenge Copycat crime Epidemiology of suicide Herd behavior Mass shooting...
Archie Battersbee case Asphyxia BlueWhaleChallenge Death Momo Challenge hoax Blackout challenge Benadryl challenge Shallow water blackout – for further...
most significantly felt. Similarly, writing about the BlueWhaleChallenge and the Momo Challenge as examples of moral panics, Benjamin Radford listed...
from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2018. "Bluewhalechallenge: CID saves a student in West Bengal from risking his life". The Indian...
a negative influence. Social media and suicide Internet homicide BlueWhaleChallenge Instagram's impact on people Death of Conrad Roy We found a dead...
people imitating the behaviour of a model or group of models (see BlueWhaleChallenge). Initiative learning can be used in robotics as an alternative to...
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species...
and the enormous size of some of the group's members. For example, the bluewhale reaches a maximum confirmed length of 29.9 meters (98 feet) and a weight...
Videos". FilmiBeat. Retrieved 26 July 2019. "Maya Kannadi takes up BlueWhalechallenge". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 July 2019. Maya Kannadi Movie...
and science. It has featured Radford's detailed analysis of the BlueWhaleChallenge scare and his passionate criticism of the History Channel's Amelia...
HMS Andromeda (F57), Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy The BlueWhaleChallenge is occasionally referred to as F57. Participants were told to carve...
The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), also known as the grey whale, is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches...
whales are three species of large baleen whales of the genus Eubalaena: the North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis), the North Pacific right whale (E...
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is a baleen whale, one of three right whale species belonging to the genus Eubalaena, all of which...
Global Information