Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The "Blue Whale" caused a stir again on social media after a 13-year-old Saudi girl committed suicide on Friday under the alleged influence of the game.

The girl strangled herself to death inside her home in the village of Wadi Al-Reem, south of Madinah city, on Friday.

The police are investigating the incident. Social media users speculate that the Blue Whale game may have led the girl to commit suicide.

A 12-year-old Saudi boy committed suicide in Abha on June 28 by strangling himself to death when the game instructed him to do so.

The deadly game allegedly could induce suicidal tendencies and is believed to have caused many players, including several children in the Arab world, to commit suicide. The game requires players to complete 50 challenges over 50 days. The challenges begin with self-harm, leading up to the final challenge, which is suicide by hanging or jumping off a high building.

In view of the dangers posed by the game, some Saudis believe that it should be banned in the Kingdom. At the same time, several social media activists argue that parents should share the blame as they have the responsibility to monitor their children's behavior and choice of game, while others say playing "Blue Whale" creates an illusion.

One Saudi user asked on Twitter, "Why would parents allow their kids to play this game and not make them busy with other activities since there are plenty of things to do."

“The Blue Whale is a systemic crime, not a game,” another tweeted.

However, a young Saudi man has argued major companies that design these games care about their reputation as much so they will not sacrifice their name by inciting young people to harm themselves.

He says he has been playing Blue Whale for eight years now and nothing has happened to him.

"The stigma is so big in this society; a video game cannot kill a 12-year-old kid. The Blue Whale is not even a game but rather a group chat that encourages you to kill yourself. And it obviously had nothing to do with a kid committing suicide,” another young user said.

One female added, “This ‘Blue Whale' thing pisses me off. Parents must have more hands-on with their kids. Just start a conversation and try to understand what they are into. I do not have a kid of my own but my little brother is basically my kid considering the age gap.”

Amid all this heated debate, the father of 12-year-old Abdul Rahman Al-Ahmari, who was buried in Ballahmar in Asir province on Monday, said his son never played "Blue Whale" it was not the reason behind his suicide. He said his son used to play the harmless game "Magic Kingdoms".