What Is the 48-Hour Challenge? Teenagers Going Missing on Purpose
A Facebook game that pushes teenagers to disappear for 48 hours, or two days, is reportedly causing panic among parents and guardians across the U.K.
The said game is called the "48-Hour Challenge," and it is said to reward points for every time a person's Facebook account is mentioned during the time they went missing. Teenagers as young as 14 years old, who have been reported missing, are believed to have taken part in the game, and worse, they often do it in groups.
One parent, whose child reportedly disappeared for about 55 hours after signing up for the challenge, referred to it as a "sick" game that has left anxiety for her whole family.
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She told Belfast Live: "I was terrified they were dead or would be raped, trafficked or killed. But these kids just think it's funny. There was not even a moment of remorse when my child was taken into police custody and when the police brought my child home, I could see posts of selfies from the police car."
When the authorities paid a visit to the teenager's school, other students allegedly assured them that it was just a Facebook challenge and that the missing teenagers will be back within 48 hours. However, a number of kids have reportedly ignored the 48-hour goal.
The mother's 14-year-old child was said to be in a group. They were found in Ballymena, Northern Island, which is nearly 50 miles away from where they were last seen.
According to The Independent, the "48-Hour Challenge" is seemingly a copycat of the "Game of 72," wherein children went missing from 24 to 72 hours. The said game circulated years ago in Western Europe.
Last month, the "Blue Whale" suicide game led to the deaths of over 100 kids. The game's participants were tasked to do a series of disturbing challenges over the course of 50 days, and on the last day, they were instructed to kill themselves. It became viral on social media across Russia and Europe.
