NJ school district’s warning on crazy, dangerous ‘Momo Challenge’

BRICK — A Jersey Shore school superintendent sent out a letter to parents on Tuesday about the "Momo Challenge," a social media game that encourages people to inflict serious harm to themselves.

According to Brick schools Superintendent Gerard Dalton, it's a game on Whatsapp, a texting app, that he described as "disturbing in nature." It begins with asking for small tasks and escalates to "more serious violent acts" with a request for a photograph as proof of completion of a task.

The game's face is a bug eyed zombie-looking character named "Momo" with long stringy hair and an evil smile

The letter comes after Brick mother Jami Nugent  told NBC New York about her first-grade son having trouble sleeping after one of his friends said that if he didn't push another friend, "Momo" would come stab him with a knife while he slept.

The father of another first grader, Mason Lardieri, told the station that he went to the police after the school did not remove the child who made the threat against his son or call Child Services.

There was an instance in July in Buenos Aires where a 12-year-old girl was reportedly found hanging from a tree in her family's backyard, according to the Buenos Aires Times.

Dalton is concerned that children will have more screen time during the upcoming holiday break.

Dalton said that the district will offer a program along with Brick police and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office about children and social media.