The so-called "Momo Challenge" and why so many people have bought into the hoax
What started as a now-deleted tweet amplified widely by Kim Kardashian, the “Momo Challenge” went viral in the past week, especially among youth. The fake challenge claimed there were videos encouraging children to harm themselves or commit suicide spliced into otherwise regular youth content. The image of Momo is actually that of a sculpture created by a Japanese artist. The challenge associated with the image has surfaced before but gained particular traction in the United States last week. Parents and school districts across the country reacted as though the challenge was real, including Frederick County Public Schools. Three schools in the county sent out email notices about the challenge without mentioning the story was a hoax.