There are plenty of reasons for parents to be leery about what their kids can find on social media. TikTok, a popular music video app, was just fined millions for collecting data on kids under 13. YouTube has been trying to pull down suicide videos aimed at teens while dealing with advertiser backlash after allegations that pedophiles were using the platform to trade information and draw attention to clips of young girls. But the Momo Challenge, the experts will tell you, is probably not something to worry about. The challenge is the latest viral concern /social media fad/urban legend going around Facebook parenting groups and schools. It's described as a "suicide game" which combines shock imagery and hidden messaging, and it supposedly encourages kids to attempt dangerous stunts, including suicide.

Earlier this week, "Momo" was a top new trending search term on Google for the US, Australia, Canada and the UK. However, to the best of everyone's knowledge, there's almost no evidence to prove it's actually a real thing. Let's break it down, so you can get back to worrying about other things. The challenge is hard to pin down ... The Momo Challenge is hard to describe, because there's not a lot of proof it actually exists. According to concerned Facebook posts, people are placing scary imagery and language into YouTube videos that are supposed to be child-friendly, like cartoons and toy reviews. The "challenge" has also been reported on WhatsApp, where it may come in the form of disturbing images and text messages sent from unknown contacts. The image is usually of a (pretty terrifying) doll with long hair and bulging eyes. The creepy sculpture is actually the work of a Japanese special effects company called Link Factory, and it, along with the artist and the company, have nothing to do with the so-called "challenge."