“This Is a Competition & It’s Sick”: Mom Warns Parents About New ‘48-Hour Challenge’

As if we needed one more reason to be worried about what our kids are doing on social media, the new “48-hour challenge” has done just that.

The Facebook-oriented game encourages teens to disappear for two days without notifying their parents or family. And the even more disturbing catch is that challenge accepters are “rewarded” with more points when their loved ones make desperate pleas on Facebook to find them, according to Belfast Live. In fact, every mention they get ‘ups’ their score.

The cyber game that started circulating in the U.K. has been labeled “sick,” “upsetting” and “alarming” by concerned parents and authorities alike.

One Irish mother has experienced the devastation of this challenge firsthand after her teen recently disappeared.

“This is a competition and it’s sick,” she said. “The anxiety it left our family in is unspeakable.”

After her child was discovered 55 hours later, she still couldn’t shake the traumatic scars it left on her heart—but her teen seemed to show no remorse for partaking in the twisted game:

“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.

“I’ve been told my child and friends are in the lead in this competition because they managed to vanish for 55 hours before they were discovered.”

The mom elaborated that she’s terrified that her 14-year-old just doesn’t seem to “get it,” and she’s concerned about how the game will affect the lives of other kids who are treating this very serious act as a prank:

“It was just terrifying and my child, who is 14, doesn’t seem to get it. They need a wake-up call but I’m worried what that would be.”

Although reported cases have yet to hit the U.S., the Charlotte, North Carolina, police department is wasting no time in taking proactive measures against the 48-hour challenge.

“It’s disturbing because it’s something we take iso seriously and for someone to take it as a prank or a joke is very alarming,” says Detective Lee Tuttle of the CMPD Missing Persons Unit.

Tuttle encourages parents to talk to their kids about the new cyber game and teach them just how serious “going missing” really is. The CMPD witnesses nearly 3,000 missing person cases each year, and many of those are teens.

“Tell them how serious what being missing is and how big a deal it really is because of the emotional and physical strain on families and then the resource strain on a police department such as ours,” says Tuttle.

The detective also reminded parents that regardless of whether or not they think their kid is partaking in the challenge, it is essential to contact authorities immediately, as there is always room for error—and it is better to be safe than sorry.

“We just want to encourage families that it is serious and to contact 911 as soon as they believe their loved one is missing,” he added.

Please talk to your kids about the 48-hour challenge today, and share this important message with the parents you know. One simple conversation could save a lifetime of heartache.