Amidst the swirling controversy around the Blue Whale game and its suspected links to a spate of teen suicides in India, an online alternative has surfaced. Even as the Indian government directs leading Internet players to disable Blue Whale sites, social media is abuzz with chatter about a Pink Whale Challenge.
But parents can relax! This is a benign challenger — from Brazil — and all it does is encourage people to perform worthy — if largely silly — acts.
In somewhat fractured English, Pink Whale sets 50 challenges like “With a marker, write on someone’s skin, how much you love them”, “Chat with someone you have not talked to for a long time”, “Write ‘Pink whale’ as much as you can in 22 seconds. Don’t cheat”, “Post a picture of yourself in an outfit that makes your fell (sic) good”, or “Unexpectedly, tell your parents or another relative that you love them”.
The website baleiarosa.com.br is based in Sao Paulo, Brazil and says “The goal is to prove that the internet can also be used to spread love, that’s why the Pink Whale was borned (sic)”. It provides links to Android and iOS apps. While harmless if goody-goody, some of the challenges if performed here, might end up making passersby suspect you have a screw loose: Like this one: “Yell ‘I Love Myself’ in the middle of a street”.
Pink Whale, we suspect, was started to harness the world-wide publicity about Blue Whale and offer an alternative that will be perceived as positive. But when one of the challenges says: “Now it’s your turn. Share this game with 3 people”, we suspect it’s also hard-nosed business — especially when we see their site attract advertisers. If you have nothing better to do and want to drive away the blues, go ahead.
(IndiaTechOnline)
