It Does Not Take A Village

This is the face of a new "game" that is spreading through WhatsApp.

As you can see in the screenshot, it is a suicide "game." Seriously. I had a conversation with someone earlier today about the percentage of people in society that could be classified as a "sociopath." The partial definition she provided, that stuck with me, was -

"...willing to hurt people without remorse."

This is to mean that someone is clearly showing a complete lack of a conscience. What do you think? Is this game evident of sociopathic behavior? I would have to say the answer is an emphatic and overwhelming YES. The number of people who would qualify as a sociopath under that definition is staggering.

You would have qualifying as a "sociopath" -

• The originator(s) of the challenge

• The people who have helped spread the challenge to make it viral

If you think about it, it has to be staggering as this is now "news" and, if you read the article, it is a worldwide issue. The are so many issues that I do not know where to start.

WhatsApp

There is a difference between "freedom of speech" and be socially responsible. There is no reasonable - or you would at least hope so - person on this planet that would actively encourage individuals to commit suicide as a "game."

WhatsApp, and any other social media platform, does have a responsibility to monitor their product. Actively encouraging suicide is something they should have stopped out of simple, human decency. They should have then helped law enforcement - on a worldwide basis if need be - to track down the source of the "game" - especially if their is criminal action that could be taken against them.

"The Game"

Anyone who "played" this game has some serious issues. How in the world can anyone justify "suicide" as a game? If that is not a sign of sociopathic behavior, then someone needs to step up and explain/justify how actively encouraging suicide is socially acceptable behavior.

The other part of this problem - and this is where WhatsApp could have stepped in - is that people use the anonymity of the Internet to engage with their "dark" side. It is this mindset that would show that the number of people with sociopathic tendencies is increasing as this game is not the first of its kind. (The article mentions others.)

The "game" itself should have clued people in to the fact that it is exploiting people who are vulnerable and in need of help. They are not to be encouraged to end their life for the "amusement" of others. Anyone who commits suicide in this challenge will never be "celebrated" for completing the challenge - they will be mourned for ending their own life.

While the "sociopath" continues to encourage others to "play" the game.

The "Village"

This is the new mantra we have today - it takes a village to raise a child. This "game", according to the article, is targeting teenagers. Children who do not have the wherewithal to understand that "suicide" is not a game. It is permanent.

The "Village" is the reason things like this happen as people become overly concerned about being politically correct and not offend the other members of the "village" allowing things like this to go unabated. There is no possible way that this would have become viral if reasonable people - i.e. adults - would have fulfilled their responsibility to their own children and stopped this a long time ago.

It does not take a "village" to raise a child - it takes a PARENT to raise a child.