The Momo Challenge has taken the Internet by storm. It is a scary and ugly challenge that supposed to drive people into suicide. Here’s my reflection on this dangerous viral topic.
If you have been on the Internet or have watched the evening news, you probably have heard about Momo. Her scary image is all over the mainstream media.
Momo looks like a pale woman, with thin wet hair, huge eyes, and a mouth that reaches her ears. She has chicken feet and her visage looks eerily scary for many people.
(Are you living a life of fear? Here are 7 Biblical keys to overcoming fear.)
There are different versions of how Momo started and how she supposed to influence people. However, each story shares a common theme. Momo gives challenges to its victims. The challenges gradually become more and more difficult. Challenges are designed to hurt victims as well as other people. According to reports, the last challenge of Momo is to challenge her victim to commit suicide.
No doubt: the Momo Challenge is the stuff of nightmares especially of parents.
Thankfully, it has been established that Momo is nothing but a viral hoax. The sad part is that it has caused great alarm to many people and the way the media sensationalize Momo, the stronger is its impact on society.
Because of the great attention the Momo Challenge has received, it could have the opposite effect of what’s intended. Instead of helping children and parents live a safer life, many would become curious about Momo and starts searching for more information about her. They then will take the challenge seriously and might end up hurting themselves.
Sometimes, not knowing about Momo is safer than knowing her. Of course, I don’t take away the fact that awareness is also important to avoid these dangerous online suicide challenge. So, it goes both ways. Thus, wisdom is truly an important factor in handling this situation.
I believe the Momo challenge has given us a golden opportunity to consider how we are taking care of our kids.
It is sad that a lot of parents nowadays are replacing warm and loving interaction with their children with smartphones and tablets. Instead of them taking care of their children, they let their electronic devices become their babysitters.
As a result, not all of us really know what’s going on with our children. We don’t spend sufficient quality time with them. Thus, it is not difficult to see why we don’t have enough idea of what goes on in their mobile devices. We tend to simply let them watch whatever video they want to watch or play whatever game we play.
The Momo challenge reminds us that we have the responsibility to sit down with our children, talk to them, and regulate what they are seeing and learning from the Internet.
The Bible steadfastly instructs us:
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Notice the instruction of God through the writings of Moses. He wants us to teach our children when we sit down in our house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up!
Remember, quality time with your children is more than just being there. It’s not enough to simply be present. You need to actually foster meaningful conversation with your children and know their innermost feelings and thoughts.
Another lesson we can learn from the Momo challenge is that we must always be on guard against Satan’s devices. No doubt the suicide challenge of Momo is of the devil. Momo plays with the mind and whatever fear and anxiety you have, she will capitalize on that.
Thus, we need to fill our mind with godly things. As Philippians 4:8 tells us, we must meditate on “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy.” (Be sure to read, How to be more Positive in Life According to the Bible.)
Filling our minds with the things of God means we must get rid of the things of Satan. This is the reason that I’m highly against watching horror movies. It is as if we are giving Satan a foothold in our mind. The slightest fear that we have can easily be used by Satan.
In the final analysis, Momo or any other viral hoax on the Internet would be powerless against us if we stay close to God. If parents spend enough time with their children and guide them in the right direction, we will have fewer children who are suffering from depression and having suicidal tendencies. As we fight Satan and his evil devices, let us fill our mind with the things of God.
Whether Momo is real or not, God is way bigger than her. There’s no evil device Satan formed that would prosper against us. As long as we are on God’s side, we will reign triumphant!
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