what was momo

11 months ago 17
Nature

Momo was a supposed online challenge that was rumored to encourage kids to commit suicide or acts of self-harm via YouTube videos and the internet. However, it was later revealed to be a hoax and an internet urban legend that was rumored to spread through social media and other outlets. The creepy and unsettling sculpture, which looks like a woman with black stringy hair, bulging eyes, and a bird-like body, was actually created by a Japanese special effects company and displayed as an art piece. The actual origins of the Momo Challenge itself are unclear, but it reportedly made its rounds in the Spanish-speaking world first, with Mexican authorities claiming that the trend stemmed from a Facebook group. Although there were reports of children and adolescents being harassed by a representation of the Momo character in the popular game Minecraft, there is no evidence that the Momo Challenge ever existed. The Momo Challenge is a moral panic spreading through new and powerful channels, and it is more than a hoax or panic. It is a pretty smart work of group fiction written in the grip of a pretty dumb panic, an avatar for a collective spirit that is.