How much of a threat to our children is MOMO?
It’s exactly as much of a threat as you might imagine. None at all.
Please don’t ever share warnings about things unless you’re sure they’re real, and not just rumours of clowns in the bushes, as it’s the sharing that gives the rumour its life force.
Take the time instead to talk about internet safety in general terms and to reassure any fears gently and realistically.
When passing on information about rumours, urban legends, or anything else that can grow and spread exponentially if unchecked, it is especially important not to use hashtags, as they become like sneezes, cross-infecting messages as they get shared again and again.
Oh, and don’t show your children that freaky MOMO picture and ask them if they’ve seen it pop up in the middle of a Peppa Pig video like a Ringu themed Jack-in-the-box, eh? Then act surprised if they don’t ever sleep again. I shouldn’t have to say that the same goes for teachers at primary schools… Good grief. Talk about safeguarding failures.
You’re supposed to be the internet-smart generation of parents by now. You should know this shit. This is just a chain letter, ffs. No one has seen it by accident, it’s just a creepypasta someone showed their kid brother or sister and someone’s mum found out and rang the D*ily M*il.
With any luck, Piers and Susanna will be up in arms about it tomorrow, which will be worth it just for Piers to get in a purple-faced tizzy about. Ah, if only she was real and she’d pop up and bite Piers on the bum.
So. Please don’t spread memes that aren’t real, people. Don’t report stuff by using the pictures, names and hashtags associated with them. Don’t get hysterical, and always check the facts first. Otherwise, you end up unnecessarily frightening children, and could end up doing someone some harm.
We’re in the post-truth era now. We have to be careful out here in the wilderness. If you’re wondering whether you should share something or not, then – and I can’t stress this strongly enough – CHECK ALL THE FACTS FIRST.
The internet is a wonderful thing, and it gives us a whole realm of opportunity if we just behave sensibly and act responsibly.
You know. Like the kids do.
I have an addendum, and an antidote, because if your children ask about Momo, there is a Momo you can show them, and a hashtag you can share: there’s the sweetest Momo of all, and he’s been to Europe and I didn’t even know! #FindMomoAcrossEurope
