# Blue Whale Challenge > Blue Whale Challenge is a 2015 Russian internet urban legend about a supposed "suicide game" where anonymous moderators assign 50 escalating tasks over 50 days. The Blue Whale Challenge is an internet urban legend about a supposed online "suicide game" in which anonymous administrators assign players 50 increasingly dangerous tasks over 50 days, with the final task being to take one's own life. The story originated from Russian social media groups on VKontakte in 2015-2016, went global through news coverage in 2017, and triggered widespread panic among parents and governments worldwide. Despite claims of over 130 linked teen deaths, no suicide has been definitively connected to the game, and closer investigation revealed the phenomenon was largely a moral panic amplified by sensationalized media reporting[1][2]. > **If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 (US), or contact your local crisis service.** ## Origin The Blue Whale Challenge traces back to the suicide of Russian teenager Renata Kambolina (also called Rina Palenkova) on November 23, 2015. The day before her death, she posted a selfie on VKontakte with the caption "nya.bye"[1][6]. Her death was discussed extensively in VK chat rooms where teenagers gathered to talk about depression, loneliness, and darker subject matter. In these groups, the line between fact and fiction blurred as users posted feverishly about Rina, sometimes even praising her death[1]. Over the following weeks, more teen suicides occurred in Russia. On Christmas Day 2015, 12-year-old Angelina Davydova took her own life in Ryazan, followed shortly after by Diana Kuznetsova from the same city[1]. When parents examined their daughters' online accounts, they found both girls belonged to similar VK groups containing drawings of Rina Palenkova, posts about suicide, and references to blue whales[1]. The story crystallized into its known form in May 2016 when journalist Galina Mursalieva published an article in the Russian investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta[2]. She claimed that VK groups with names like "Ocean Whales" and "F57" hosted a game where "curators" set 50 tasks over 50 days, ending in suicide. The article estimated 130 children had killed themselves between November 2015 and April 2016 as participants[1][6]. This reporting was heavily criticized for lacking evidence. The 130 figure came from Sergey Pestov, the father of one victim, who compiled the number from Russian media reports of child suicides he believed were linked to online groups[6]. Meduza argued the causation was backwards: suicidal teenagers were drawn to these groups, not driven to suicide by them[2]. - **Platform:** VKontakte (VK) groups in Russia, Novaya Gazeta (media amplification) - **Creator:** Philipp Budeikin (claimed creator of "F57" death groups), Galina Mursalieva (journalist whose reporting defined the narrative) - **Date:** 2015-2016 ## Overview The Blue Whale Challenge describes a supposed 50-day "game" run through social media, where self-appointed "curators" assign daily tasks to teenage participants. Early tasks are relatively harmless: "Wake up at 4:20 AM," "Watch a scary film," or "Listen to music they send you." The tasks escalate over time to include self-harm, such as cutting specific symbols into skin, sitting on rooftop ledges, and sleep deprivation[7]. On the 50th day, the player is told to commit suicide to "win." Participants were allegedly required to send photographic proof of each completed task[3]. The name "Blue Whale" has two competing origin theories. One links it to whale beaching, where whales strand themselves on land and die[1]. The other traces it to lyrics by Russian rock band Lumen, whose song features "a huge blue whale" that "can't break through the net"[6]. The whale imagery spread through VK groups as melancholic, surreal artwork, including a widely shared image of a whale flying over a city at night[1]. What makes the Blue Whale Challenge unusual as an internet phenomenon is the gap between its reputation and verified reality. While the story spread worldwide as a deadly threat to teenagers, investigations by the BBC, Snopes, Radio Free Europe, and Russian media outlet Meduza all found that the game as described didn't appear to actually exist in any organized form[1][2]. ## How It Spread The Novaya Gazeta article triggered alarm across Russia. The governor of Ulyanovsk compared the Blue Whale Challenge to ISIS on television[1]. In November 2016, 21-year-old Philipp Budeikin was arrested and charged with inciting teenagers to suicide. Budeikin, an expelled psychology student and aspiring "witch house" music producer, claimed he had created the game in 2013 under the name "F57"[1][5]. He told Russian media outlet Saint-Petersburg.ru: "There are people, and then there is biodegradable waste. I was cleansing our society of such people"[1]. On May 10, 2017, he pleaded guilty to inciting at least 16 teenage girls to commit suicide and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison[5]. By early 2017, the story had spread far beyond Russia. Radio Free Europe reported in February 2017 that Blue Whale had become a "shadowy online phenomenon" across Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan[3]. Their correspondent created a fake VK profile posing as a 15-year-old girl and contacted multiple self-proclaimed curators. One wrote: "I am your personal whale. I will help you take the game all the way to the end. The last day is the end of the game. If you die, you win"[3]. However, the curator accounts were quickly blocked, and the correspondent found no evidence of an organized game. In March 2017, English-language media picked up the story en masse. The Sun published multiple articles linking the game to 130 teen deaths[9]. Reddit discussions erupted on r/morbidquestions and r/OutOfTheLoop, where many users expressed skepticism that the game was real[5]. Snopes labeled the claim that Blue Whale caused over 130 deaths as "unproven"[2]. The panic went global through mid-2017. In France, national police tweeted warnings: "Do not let yourself be influenced. No challenge is worth risking your life"[4]. Brazil's justice minister launched a federal investigation after reports from five states[4]. India saw a surge of concern after multiple suspected cases, with Instagram adding content warnings when users searched Blue Whale-related hashtags[7]. In the United States, the family of 15-year-old Isaiah Gonzalez in San Antonio, Texas, suspected his July 2017 death was linked to the game after finding self-harm photos on his phone[5]. The Miami Police Department posted a warning video that received 488,000 views and 11,500 shares[5]. In June 2017, Moscow postman Ilya Sidorov, 26, was arrested for allegedly running a Blue Whale group that authorities connected to the death of a 13-year-old girl[5][6]. Russian parliament proposed legislation criminalizing the creation of pro-suicide groups on social media[9]. ## How to Use The Blue Whale Challenge is not a meme format that people "use" in the traditional sense. Unlike typical internet memes, it's not a template for humor or creative expression. The term typically appears in three contexts: 1. **News and awareness sharing:** People share warnings, debunking articles, or educational content about the phenomenon, often directed at parents or educators. 2. **Moral panic discussion:** Online communities reference Blue Whale as a case study in media-driven panic, comparing it to other overhyped internet threats. 3. **Dark humor (rare and controversial):** Some internet users reference the challenge in edgy jokes, which is widely considered to be in poor taste given the real teen suicides tangentially connected to the story. ## Cultural Impact The Blue Whale Challenge triggered legislative action in multiple countries. Russia's parliament proposed a bill criminalizing the creation of pro-suicide groups on social media, with potential sentences of up to four years[9]. The game was reportedly banned in Egypt, Kenya, and Pakistan, though experts noted such bans were essentially unenforceable[6]. Police forces across the globe issued official warnings, including in Armenia, Brazil, France, India, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom[6]. Essex Police in the UK informed schools, and one Basildon headteacher wrote directly to parents about the threat[9]. Brazil's justice minister launched a federal investigation after five states reported concerns[4]. The phenomenon became a reference point for discussions about online safety and the responsibility of social media platforms toward minors. The European Commission-backed organization Better Internet for Kids emphasized digital literacy education as a defense, with representative Sarah Willoughby telling DW: "This is primarily about education and we need to highlight the importance of children and young people being able to talk openly about things which concern them"[4]. In academic circles, the Blue Whale Challenge was studied as an example of suicide contagion through social media. A 2013 University of Oxford study had already found that while suicide prevention forums could help young users, the internet also created opportunities for perpetuating suicidal behavior[4]. The 2022 psychiatric case report in Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders documented how even indirect exposure to Blue Whale content on social media could trigger self-harm in vulnerable teens[8]. ## Fun Facts - RFE/RL's correspondent went undercover as a fake 15-year-old on VK and contacted over a dozen self-proclaimed Blue Whale curators. Most accounts were blocked before completing any tasks, and no organized game structure was found[3]. - The "4:20 AM" wake-up time featured in the game's tasks shares the same number as the well-known marijuana culture reference, and "Blue Whale" is also slang for a large hit of marijuana[7]. - Philipp Budeikin claimed to suffer from bipolar disorder during his trial, but was found to be legally sane by the court[5]. - One of the most widely shared images from the VK groups was a melancholy illustration of a whale flying over a city at night. It had nothing to do with suicide but became a visual shorthand for the entire phenomenon[1]. - The creator of the "Sea of Whales" VK community told the Russian media outlet Lenta.ru that the group's real purpose was to drive traffic to the page, not to encourage suicide[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Blue Whale Challenge? The Blue Whale Challenge is an internet urban legend about an online "game" where administrators assign players 50 tasks over 50 days, escalating from harmless activities to self-harm, with the final task being suicide. Despite widespread reporting, no deaths have been definitively linked to the game[1][2]. ### Where did the Blue Whale Challenge come from? The story originated from VKontakte groups in Russia in 2015-2016, following a series of teen suicides. It entered global awareness after journalist Galina Mursalieva published an article in Novaya Gazeta in May 2016 claiming 130 teen deaths were linked to online "death groups"[1][6]. ### What does the Blue Whale Challenge mean? The name may reference whale beaching (where whales strand themselves on land and die) or lyrics from Russian rock band Lumen featuring "a huge blue whale" that "can't break through the net." In the context of VK groups, whale imagery conveyed melancholy and isolation[1][6]. ### How do you use the Blue Whale Challenge? This is not a traditional meme template. The term is primarily referenced in discussions about internet safety, moral panics, and media-driven fear. Associated hashtags like #BlueWhaleChallenge and #F57 are flagged by major platforms with mental health warnings[7]. ### Is the Blue Whale Challenge still popular? No. The phenomenon peaked in 2017 and had largely receded by late that year[6]. Occasional claims of resurgences have appeared, such as in 2020, but these have not been substantiated with evidence of organized activity[5]. ### Who created the Blue Whale Challenge? Philipp Budeikin, a 21-year-old expelled psychology student, claimed in 2016 to have invented the game in 2013 under the name "F57." He was arrested, pleaded guilty to inciting 16 teenage girls to commit suicide, and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison[1][5]. However, investigators have questioned whether Budeikin actually ran an organized game or simply claimed credit after the fact[3]. ### Was the Blue Whale Challenge real? The BBC's investigation concluded that "the game, at least as it was initially reported, doesn't seem to have existed at all"[1]. Snopes labeled the claim of 130+ linked deaths as "unproven"[2]. While disturbing VK groups and individual bad actors did exist, no evidence supports the existence of a coordinated 50-day suicide game[3]. ### How many deaths were linked to the Blue Whale Challenge? The Novaya Gazeta article claimed 130 child suicides between November 2015 and April 2016 were linked, but this figure was derived from one parent's own media research and was widely criticized[2][6]. No single death has been definitively tied to the game. ### What were the 50 tasks of the Blue Whale Challenge? Reported tasks ranged from "wake up at 4:20 AM" and "watch a horror movie" to self-harm instructions like carving symbols into skin and sitting on rooftop ledges, with suicide as the supposed 50th task[7][8]. However, the actual task lists varied widely across sources, suggesting there was no single standardized version. ### Why did governments respond to the Blue Whale Challenge? The story spread during a period of heightened concern about youth mental health and online safety. Russia had the third-highest teen suicide rate in the world, and the Blue Whale narrative offered a specific external threat for officials to act against[9][10]. Countries including Egypt, Kenya, and Pakistan reportedly banned the game, and police in numerous nations issued warnings[6]. ### Is the Blue Whale Challenge considered a moral panic? Yes. Skeptic Ben Radford called it "the moral panic du jour," comparing it to the 1980s Dungeons & Dragons controversy where the role-playing game was blamed for teen suicides without evidence[6]. Researchers found that media coverage likely caused more harm than the supposed game itself, by drawing curious teenagers toward dangerous content[3][7]. ## References 1. [Do NOT Try to Play It: The Gory World of the Blue Whale Challenge]() 2. [Blue Whale: What is the truth behind an online 'suicide challenge'? - BBC News]() 3. ['Blue whale challenge': An online danger]() 4. [Blue Whale Challenge - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Blue Whale Challenge]() 6. [Blue Whale Challenge - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Blue Whale Challenge - Wikipedia]() 8. [Blue Whale: What is the truth behind an online 'suicide challenge'?]() 9. [The Blue Whale Challenge, Social Media, Self-Harm, and Suicide Contagion]() 10. [What is the Blue Whale suicide game, how many deaths are linked to the challenge and is it in the UK?]() 11. [988 Lifeline - If you need emotional support, reach out to the national mental health hotline: 988.]() 12. [Teen 'Suicide Games' Send Shudders Through Russian-Speaking World]() 13. [‘Blue Whale’ suicide game linked to 130 teen deaths is just tip of the iceberg in Russia]() 14. [Is the 'Blue Whale' Game Responsible for Dozens of Suicides in Russia? | Snopes.com]() 15. [Here's How The 'Blue Whale' Suicide Game Is Killing Teens On Social Media | I Heart Intelligence]() 16. [‘Blue whale’ game: Russian teens killed by social media fad | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site for latest headlines]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/blue-whale-challenge Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library