'Blue Whale' Drags Youngsters Under

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 11 November 2017)


As always, the animals' name is taken in vain without their
consent.

Two suicides have renewed the discussion about computer games
dragging teenagers and children to suicide.  In Altınordu district of
Ordu province high school student İbrahim Can Duman (17) hung
himself on a gas pipe and it is claimed that Duman was influenced
by the computer game 'Blue Whale'.

In Senirkent, İsparta, Osman Çelik (15) shot himself in the head with
a hunting rifle.  Recently, Çelik had been obsessively playing a
detective computer game, which may have brought about his suicide.
Çelik did not continue his schooling after middle school, did not
mingle with the outside world and continually played the game on
his social media account.

The detective game is one of the most popular on Facebook. After
the game was made available in Turkish everyone could more easily
play the game, which gets progressively harder.  In the game, the
player assumes the role of a detective, searches for clues to a crime
and makes a contribution to the suspect's arrest.

'Blue Whale'  was designed in Russia and its victims multiply each
day.  The game does not have an official internet address nor is it
sold legally.  In Russia 130 players have committed suicide and
worldwide this number is 250.  Those who enter the game get a
virus that absorbs their personal information.  The game demands
that players fulfill 50 instructions, which include injuring oneself.
Players who fail are instructed to "Die. In any case you will be
reborn."