The Jamaica Ministry of Education, Youth and Information released a statement on Thursday warning parents and guardians about the Momo challenge.
The release warns about a character “Momo” who is symbolised by a woman with bulging eyes, that is said to appear in the middle of videos of the children’s cartoon programme Peppa Pig and computer game Fortnite on YouTube and YouTube Kids.
The statement goes on to say that “Momo is a meme that targets young children on social media, encouraging them to add a contact on the messaging platform WhatsApp or online games, and then sends them graphic images and messages. This character encourages our children to perform harmful acts without telling their parents. The video usually starts innocently, like the start of a Peppa Pig episode but quickly turns into an altered version with violence and offensive language.”
The ministry advised parents to be vigilant in the supervision of children to ensuring they do not become victims. (PR)
