Chandigarh education dept issues advisory on Blue Whale game; instructions for teachers, parents - Hindustan Times
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Chandigarh education dept issues advisory on Blue Whale game; instructions for teachers, parents

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | ByArshdeep Arshi, Chandigarh
Sep 25, 2017 08:34 PM IST

The advisory comes at a time when it is being suspected that a Class 10 student hanged himself after playing this challenge game.

UT education department has issued an advisory on Monday regarding the Blue Whale game. The advisory is meant for both teachers and parents.

Acknowledging the seriousness of the issue, the department took it upon itself to be extra vigilant in this case.

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The advisory comes at a time when it is being suspected that a Class 10 student hanged himself after playing this challenge game.

Director School Education, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, said, “The advisory was approved last week but it has been issued today.”

Obnoxious, inhuman, and horrific

The advisory mentions the game as “a very obnoxious, inhuman, and horrific online game, wherein the online administrator urges the players/participants to inflict injuries on their bodies in the name of courage and dare and gradually propels them to undertake fatal steps, eventually leading to death of players/participants.”

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had also issued an advisory on August 18 to the schools about online games. However, the UT education department has made it more specific around Blue Whale game challenge.

The advisory also mentions that the children probably know about the game as media has taken up the issue after deaths of children suspected due to this game.

For parents and teachers

District Education Officer, Rajinder Kaur, said, “The advisory has been issued for parents and teachers together as they are the two people who remain closer to the children. It is in view that the parent-teacher meetings will be held in October after the mid-term exams where it can be shared with the parents.”

She added, “Though there is no proven fact that the deaths are connected to the game but the issue is serious, and we are trying to be extra vigilant.”

The psychologists also say that any change in the behaviour of children should be monitored. Also they should not be given full control over internet to avoid such cases.

Google trends show a continuous interest

Google trends also show a regular interest in the game. If we see the trends from Chandigarh, there have been continuous searches on Google for this Blue Whale game. It shows that the interest in the game in Chandigarh started around the death of Manpreet, a fifteen year old, in Mumbai.

DEO mentioned how a few teachers use the mobile phones in front of the children which excite them to do the same. It is important that we show them what we want them to be.

Behavioural changes should be taken seriously

Kaur further said, “Nowadays materials are being provided to children but not the much needed time. It is very important to talk to the children and notice if any behavioural changes are there. We will have meetings with the cluster heads to share the advisory with the parents.”

Advisory

For parents

· A need to inform and interact with children

· Make sure that the child uses age appropriate online sites

· Always ensure that the child uses a computer placed in the family space

· Talk to the child. Explore the online world together

· Monitor the time for which the child uses internet and keep an eye on her/his online activities

· Be a role model of your child

· Talk to other parents about the issues

· Keep yourself updated with recent internet phenomena

· Be alert to any behavioural changes

· If the child is already playing the Blue Whale Challenge, immediately stop her/him from using internet on any device

· Inform the local police authority and seek their advice on safety measures

For teachers

· Keep an eye on the falling grades and behavioural changes

· Monitor the behavior of each and every child

· Personally talk to the children if there is any anti-social behaviour

· If anything suspicious, inform the school authorities immediately

· Ensure that the children don’t use any gadgets during school hours

· Sensitize the children about the pros and cons of the internet regularly

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