A 16-year old Gwinnett girl committed suicide after taking part in The Blue Whale Challenge, according to Nelly Miles, spokeswoman with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
She is the first Georgia victim of the deadly social media challenge.
The online game began several years ago in Russia and consists of a number of challenges the teens must complete over a 50-day period.
Those tasks range from watching scary videos to harming themselves. They must take pictures and post them online to prove it. On the final day, they must commit suicide.
“Parents need to be aware of the internet’s impact when it comes to teen suicide,” said Miles. “In the end it really boils down to knowing what your children are engaged in on social media.”
The Gwinnett girl is the 20th teenager to commit suicide in Georgia this year. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among Americans age 10 to 14 and the second among people 15 to 34, according to latest statistics from the centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Be engaged with your children’s social media activity,” Miles said. “And, try to understand what they’re doing. There are different ways to monitor that.”
Miles said the investigation into the teenager’s death is ongoing.