Centennial Warns Parents About 'Momo Challenge'

WARMINSTER, PA — The Centennial School District has joined the chorus of education and law enforcement agencies warning parents about the perceived threat of the so-called "Momo Challenge."

In a Facebook post on Thursday, the district described the challenge as a viral online game found on Facebook, YouTube and the messaging app WhatsApp, in which a frightening avatar asks the viewer to perform various tasks and threatens those who do not.

"The game encourages kids to hurt others, themselves and their own lives," district officials wrote.

The post says that Centennial has "blocked direct access to the YouTube channel this has been playing on."

"However, the Momo Challenge videos may be embedded in other videos," they wrote. "We will continue to monitor students' activity on the Internet, and we will provide support to any students who display concern."

The post also encourages parents to monitor their children's use of social media and the internet.

The challenge has drawn the attention of authorities and educators across the country in recent weeks. But, some who have looked into the trend have called the Momo Challenge "a viral hoax."

YouTube told The Atlantic that it hasn't seen any evidence of videos showing or promoting the challenge and that any that were found would be removed for violating the video platform's policies.

There have been no officially corroborated cases of children taking their lives due to the challenge, as is often claimed in viral online posts.