“Run or die”: parents raise alarm in the wake of new deathly game for teens

After Children’s Ombudsman of Russia Anna Kuznetsova assigned the traffic police staff to make it out of the perilous game, a lot of schools announced they would hold out-of-schedule parental meetings.

Rumors about the dreadful game were triggered in parental chats last week. “Parents of each class are connected with one another by one group messenger: once you write to one – everybody receives it, – comments pedagogue of one of Moscow schools Victor Shubin. – Such groups can ventilate lots of fake messages, too.”

He asserts there is no official information on the matter at school now.

Rules of the game are also explained on the Internet. “The point is one should cross the road right before vehicles: the more dangerous – the cooler it is. Who manages to do it gets scores. The main thing is there should be a proof to that – a photo or a video. They say there is even a special app for smart phones. A teenager downloads it and is immediately led by a curator who watches him distantly and sends messages-notifications at due time. Children’s psyche gets shattered by early wakeups: at 4 a.m. you have to get up and do various tasks.”

As it is reported, the game with the name «Run or Die» is actually available for downloading. However, it has nothing to do with a risky road-crossing. In fact, it’s a standard computer game with tanks and armed soldiers.

In connection with this game there came to mind a recent loud story with “death groups”. If to believe descriptions of “Run or die”, they have a lot in common.

“Children aged 12-16 do not realize what a death is, comments psychologist Denis Tokar. – At the same time parents lose their authority in the eyes of their child. Herewith a teenager feels a need to have a role model, and if this place is taken by a virtual friend with such “games”, there’s trouble ahead. What is important for parents to do is to maintain friendly relationships with their kids and distract them in every possible way from PC games. I mean not to forbid – it can exasperate a teenager, – but namely to distract, get them interested in something else.”

Read also