You may have already heard of "The Momo Challenge." After all, the viral challenge is far from new, having popped up over the last few years. The premise is drawn from a digital-age horror movie. A mysterious and grotesque birdlike entity named "Momo" slides into your DMs, with a series of escalating requests. Some extreme cases include acts of self-harm, going as far as suicide. This "Momo" character, who looks like the abhorrent bastard child of man and bird, seems to target impressionable youths. With parents on the alert, Kim Kardashian has taken a moment to raise awareness via her Instagram story.
Kim made sure to tag Youtube, imploring them to intervene on behalf of the youths. If Momo's presence wasn't insidious enough, she even pops up in the middle of beloved children videos like Peppa Pig. The idea that such malice could be happening seems to have had a lasting effect on Kim, who warned parents to be vigilant in monitoring their children's YouTube habits.
YouTube claims evidence of such videos, which feature the spliced-in inclusion of that God-forsaken Momo, have yet to pop up on their end. Should they indeed surface, YouTube would be quick to pull the plug accordingly. As of now, it's unclear whether the Kardashian-West clan has had any direct experience with Momo, though it seems Kanye might get a kick of its origin; the creature is actually a sculpture called "Mother Bird," created by Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa.
In the wake of Kim's message, publications like CBS News have doubled down on Momo coverage, warning parents to exercise extreme caution. Momo's stomping grounds allegedly include What's App, and while reports have already stretched back a few years, this sudden revival in interest can only mean one thing. She has risen.