Cute at first glance, creepy at second: the Huggy Wuggy cuddly toy can be found in and outside many stores and is definitely not for children. Because Huggy Wuggy actually comes from brutal and terrifying videos that are hard for kids to digest.
Huggy Wuggy looks at first like any cuddly toy: it has long arms and legs, big googly eyes and soft blue fur. It is clear that children find the figure great. And because children are a popular target group, Huggy Wuggy is now also heavily offered for children. The cuddly toy is already available in all colors, you can buy backpacks, clothes or carnival costumes with it.
The problem is that Huggy Wuggy’s big, grinning mouth hides a row of sharp teeth. And behind the cute facade hides pure creepiness. Because Huggy Wuggy comes from the computer game “Poppy Playtime”. In this horror game, players are in a toy factory and have to fight against live, extremely vicious and creepy toys and escape from the factory. Huggy Wuggy is the leader of the creepy toy army that chases the players and scares them.
You might think the cuddly toy alone wouldn’t be a problem as long as kids don’t play the game to it. Unfortunately, however, this is a bit short of the mark. On the one hand, Huggy Wuggy is already suitable for scaring younger or more sensitive children because of the many, pointed teeth. The bigger problem, however, is that children are exposed to digital media at a very early age. Even if the children do not come into contact with the actual game: What the Internet has to offer about Huggy Wuggy is enough for nightmares. Indeed, online you can find creepy pictures in large numbers. On the popular video platforms there are not only Lets Play videos, but also videos in which Huggy Wuggy abruptly appears to scare people and spread fear. For children,this blending of a sweet fictional character with such a terrifying portrayal is difficult to understand and process.
Parents often find themselves in a difficult situation when the subject comes up at home Huggy Wuggy. They want to protect their children, but without looking like killjoys. Therefore, it is important to get well informed first: If you know what is behind the Huggy Wuggy phenomenon, you will be much better able to form your own opinion and discuss your concerns with your children.
Listen to your children’s concerns and questions, listen to their perspectives, and take an interest. Ask where the child knows the plush figure from, what they like about it, or what they already know about it. That way, you can stay in the conversation and be the point of contact when your child may have already seen content that frightens or unsettles him or her.
Nevertheless, take a clear and reasoned position and explain to your child why you might not want to buy the stuffed animal. An open and appreciative conversation can create understanding here – while prohibitions often only lead to children no longer talking about their experiences.
For more information about the Huggy Wuggy phenomenon, visit FLIMMO.
A large part of children’s and young people’s communication takes place digitally. They chat with each other, share pictures and follow each other on social media channels. This can also lead to unpleasant experiences. Above a certain level, this is digital violence, which can even be punishable by law.
Online violence can look different. Perpetrators are usually concerned with deliberately insulting, discriminating against or devaluing a person. For example, they post private pictures or write nasty comments. Such assaults happen wherever young people are online. One well-known form is cyberbullying. Violence from the analog world can also be continued digitally and thus becomes borderless. Anonymity lowers the inhibition threshold and compassion. It also makes it more difficult to identify and hold perpetrators accountable.
Digital violence is very stressful, especially psychologically, and can have severe consequences. Sufferers often suffer from anxiety, emotional stress and low self-esteem. They no longer feel safe and are afraid that the threats on the net will spread to the analog environment. Young women and girls are particularly frequent targets of digital assaults. Leaving the platform or blocking certain people may help, but the damage is often already done to the victims.
Digital violence manifests itself in very different ways and can take on different dimensions. Children and young people are particularly exposed to certain forms of online violence:
Some rules of conduct can increase your child’s safety on the Internet:
It is especially important that you talk to your child about possible risks and dangers and show interest. Regularly inquire about the people your child has digital contact with and the websites he or she visits.
Not all young people turn to their parents when they have problems, because they are afraid of punishment and lack of understanding. Talk to your child about it and make them aware of sites they can turn too, such as Juuuport. Children find it difficult to cope with the psychological stress and consequences of digital violence. So it’s important for your child to get help from adults if he or she is a victim of digital violence. This can also be accessed through counseling centers.
Online violence is not a trivial offense, but depending on the form it takes (e.g., insults, defamation, and threats), it may even be punishable by law. Therefore, you should definitely document the incidents, e.g. by taking screenshots, and go to the police with them.
Online violence should be reported to the police! In addition, you will get support at these places:
Whether chain letters or YouTube videos: Momo may have also scared your child. For weeks, people read reports and articles about the creepy figure with wide eyes and a scary grin. Thus, parents and teachers were also panicked and a real Momo hype arose. Media coverage has contributed to this.
Momo first appeared on WhatsApp in 2018 as a chain letter. In it, readers were invited to take part in various challenges and allegedly incited to self-harm. A photo of the creepy figure, which is actually a sculpture by a Japanese artist, caused great fear, especially among younger children. The chain letter was followed in 2019 by alleged WhatsApp accounts of Momo, which directly contacted children and young people. YouTuber posted videos online in which you apparently chatted with Momo and engaged in risky tasks.
It probably started with a local newspaper in England, which took a Facebook post by a concerned mother as an opportunity to report on Momo. Other media picked up on the Momo phenomenon. This was followed by reports about YouTube videos and children’s series in which Momo suddenly appears and about a schoolgirl’s alleged suicide attempt for which the creepy figure was responsible. Parents, teachers and children were warned about Momo.
Many reports subsequently turned out to be untrue or at least greatly exaggerated. Information was hardly ever checked for accuracy. False reports ultimately triggered the Momo scandal.
Although no one was ever written to directly by Momo, the character suddenly posed a real threat. Messages were forwarded, because one also wanted to warn friendly parents or neighbors. Adults fell for what they actually want to protect their children from: The principle of chain letters – the uncritical forwarding of messages that have not been checked for truth.
The great media attention also encourages imitators: New chain letters are sent out into the world, WhatsApp accounts with the name Momo are created. Thus, the issue gets an enormous amount of attention and panic ensues. It is a vicious circle: Again and again new events and reports that do not break off further promote the Momo hype.
Other phenomena and challenges are also extremely inflated by media attention. You may have heard of the so-called Blue Whale Challenge – a game that allegedly drives children and teens to suicide. The existence of this game has never been proven. Through constant media reports, the Challenge finally became known in Germany as well.
Do not respond to your child’s fear with panic, but explain that such stories are often made up and that chain letters have the sole function of frightening and pressuring recipients. Make it clear that many reports are falsehoods and there is no reason to be afraid. Because why should you be afraid of something that doesn’t exist?
Explain to your child what false reports are and how to recognize them. You can read more about this in our article on Fake News.
Always be a point of contact for your child, even when it comes to their online experiences! If you notice that, for example, Momo, similar scary characters or problematic challenges appear in YouTube videos, report this content – directly to YouTube or to jugendschutz.net.
Whether you learn of such incidents through an article, a Facebook group, other parents, or your child: Do not simply forward the information! Check what facts there are about the phenomenon and whether the information seems exaggerated or realistic. Also talk to other parents about whether the message can be true.
Chain letters are not a new phenomenon. Nowadays, however, they are spread via social networks and messenger services. For many children who use WhatsApp chain letters are a natural part of their lives. Some kids receive several chain letters a day, funny or creepy, usually riddled with spelling and typing errors.
Many messages are nice and make you smile or are intended to make it clear that you care about the reader. But there are also such chain letters that can put your child under pressure or even cause fear and panic. So-called “social barometers” are designed to show the sender of chain letters how popular he or she is:
“Send this letter to 12 wonderful girls (including me) and see how many times you get it back and see how many true friends you have. One to two: well, there are better ones. Two to three: Okay, you have some. Four to five: You have enough true friends.”
Chain letters often also contain threats and warnings about what can happen if the message is not forwarded. These are particularly frightening to children and young people. Some of them tell short horror stories and always end with sentences like “Send this message on, otherwise I’ll kill you!”. Threatening to harm friends or family is also one of the classic ways to create pressure and fear.
“If you love your mom send this to 20 people. One girl ignored this and her mom died in 365 days. Sorry I can’t ignore this because I love my mom. Shame on you if you don’t”.
These creepy messages are now also available as audio chain letters. That is, a distorted computer voice threatens the recipient with murder or bodily harm unless the audio file is forwarded to a certain number of contacts. These types of chain letters can be particularly scary for children.
Therefore, it is important to talk to your child about chain letters. Explain that not forwarding will not have any consequences and this kind of messages are just a very bad joke. You can also send a message to the sender together and educate about the background of chain letters. If such a message was sent from an unknown number, the number should be blocked directly. Then messages from this person will not be delivered.
If you would like to read more about the topic, you can get more information at saferinternet.at, for example.
