Psychobiological determinants of ‘Blue Whale Suicide Challenge’ victimization: A proposition for the agency mediated mental health risk in new media age

• Main Author: Kumar A., Etiologically Elusive Disorders Research Network
• Format: Report
• Language: unknown
• Published: PsyArXiv 2017
• Subjects: Psychology; FOS Psychology; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Applied Behavior Analysis; Blue whale
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/8xh92; https://psyarxiv.com/8xh92/

Background: An internet game called Blue Whale Suicide Challenge (BWSC) has driven scores of teenagers and young adults to commit suicide globally. The challenge preferably runs through closed social media networks and has gained notoriety for its mysterious modus operandi. Methods: Descriptions of these cases, published online by credible news media around the world, were collected using combinations of keywords, viz., ‘blue whale suicide challenge’, ‘self-infliction’, ‘rescue’ etc. A comprehensive review of both, the reported descriptions and the scientific literature, was undertaken to evaluate the mental status of the victims and curators of the game, and to construct a psychobiological perspective of the victimization.Results and discussion: BWSC victimization cases were reported from different parts of the world, particularly from Russia, Europe and India. The victims of the challenge were largely teenagers and young adults with infrequent cases in other age groups. Teenagers with complicated upbringing and negative life experiences have a higher propensity to be easier targets. Analysis of instructions used in the game reveal a motivational program that exploits fear psychology and contains elements of induction, habituation and self-infliction. All in order to mentally groom the victim for eventual suicide. Conclusions: BWSC victimization seems to imply predatory and self-inflictive psychobiological mechanisms on the part of its curators and participants, respectively. This online agency mediated modus operandi uniquely exploits principles of psychology and could mischievously be applied to target individuals or masses in different settings.