Honestly, Momo Scares the Shit Out of Me

I know where she comes from, but that doesn’t make it any better, really. The creepy image is actually a photo of a sculpture called Mother Bird created by the Japanese special effects company Link Factory. Last year, authorities around the world began sharing warnings of the “Momo Challenge,” where WhatsApp users adopting the image would supposedly tell children to perform increasingly extreme acts, sharing gory images if they didn’t, and allegedly driving some to suicide. Some news outlets warned of the challenge, while others realized that most Momo-related claims were poorly supported and the whole thing stank of a hoax. The panic reignited again this week, when an Irish police department shared yet another warning on Facebook—and concerned parents signal-boosted the message.

LINK: https://gizmodo.com/honestly-momo-scares-the-shit-out-of-me-1832968759?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_twitter&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow