The digital world in which our children are growing up hides dark abysses. In pursuit of acceptance and popularity among their peers, young people are increasingly falling victim to deadly “games” and “challenges” that push them toward risky behaviors, self-harm, and even death. It is a world that adults often fail to notice or understand, a world that poses a real and steadily growing threat to the youngest generation. The scale of the problem is expanding, and its consequences can be irreversible, warns Gazeta Polska.
The author of the article, Grzegorz Wierzchołowski, cites shocking examples from recent months. The widely publicized case of the disappearance and death of 14-year-old Maja and 15-year-old Wiktor from Rzeszów, though not confirmed by the prosecutor’s office, sparked a nationwide debate about the so-called “48 Hours Challenge.” The rule of this game is simple yet terrifying: participants are to disappear for 48 hours and cause as much commotion in the media as possible, involving their desperate families and emergency services in the “fun.” But this is just one of many deadly threats. Among the most dangerous is the “Blackout Challenge,” which involves intentionally choking oneself to experience a brief “high.” Recently, 12-year-old Sebastian, a Polish boy living in the UK, died as a result. In Gorzów Wielkopolski, doctors fought for the life of an 11-year-old who, persuaded by his friends, swallowed small fireworks known as “devils.”
The list of dangers also includes challenges such as the “Blue Whale Challenge,” in which an anonymous “cerer” assigns 50 tasks, the last of which is suicide, and the “Momo Challenge,” where a terrifying doll issues threats to force compliance. Others, like the “Paracetamol Challenge” or the “Benadryl Challenge,” encourage the consumption of excessive doses of medication, which can result in permanent liver damage or death.
Another, equally dangerous, dimension of the digital darkness lies in gaming platforms such as the immensely popular Roblox. Although advertised as a safe environment for play, it has, in reality, become a hunting ground for criminals and pedophiles. Around 40% of its more than 70 million daily users are children under the age of 13. Offenders, pretending to be peers, form relationships with children in order to exploit them sexually. The problem is so severe that the Attorney General of Louisiana called the platform “an ideal place for pedophiles,” and several countries have decided to block access to it altogether.
“Experts agree: many of these dangers, and even tragedies, could have been avoided if not for the recklessness and, to put it bluntly, negligence of adults,”
Wierzchołowski emphasizes.
According to research by NASK (the National Research Institute), as many as 66% of parents believe that their child would turn to them if something went wrong. The reality is harsh – only 15% of teenagers actually do. The key lies in conversation, building trust, and setting rules together. Parents must take an interest in what their children play and with whom they communicate online.