When I first heard about this, I didn't want to believe it. Surely, this is just some hoax that is being spread to build hype for an app. But, from my research, it appears there is an app called "Blue Whale Game" that has really led to teen suicides.

I knew this was a serious issue when I saw many school districts begin sharing the warning about this app. The first one was Baldwin County School District in Alabama.

Here's what the app does. It offers 50 days of increasingly disturbing challenges. On the 50th day, it tries to convince the user to commit suicide.

There is a genuine reason for their concern as this app has been linked to over 130 deaths in Russia, according to the Metro. The creator of the app has been apprehended and stated that he was "trying to cleanse society". Beyond disturbing.

The Times of India is reporting that the app has spread to Portugal, Brazil and Dubai. That has set off the alarms here in the US among schools and suicide prevention groups.

Bottom line: know what your kids are doing and demand transparency with what apps they utilize on their phones and other digital devices.

If you are a teen in crisis, know that it gets better and there is local help available.

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