Supernatural games have always been popular with both young and old. Just think about games such as ‘Bloody Mary’ and the Ouija Board, which have been around for a very long time. When one wants to connect with the afterlife, you either go to a medium or you play a supernatural game, but at your own peril. One of the latest supernatural games to come forward is the Charlie-Charlie Challenge. But should parents be concerned about this new game and their children’s interest in it?
What Is The Charlie-Charlie Challenge?
The game could be described as a basic version of the Ouija Board, which works with pencils. It has been heavily featured on social media and so a large number of children have been exposed to it. To start the game, the phrase “Charlie, Charlie can we play” is uttered. Then, a question is asked and participants wait for the pencil to move towards “yes” or “no”.
Do Supernatural Games Have A Harmful Effect On Children?
Supernatural games have been around for a very long time and have always fascinated the younger generation. Yet, despite their popularity, there is little research into the effects of these supernatural games on children.
Despite the lack of research into the effects of supernatural games on children, we do know some of the numbers in terms of these game sales. While the Charlie Charlie Challenge is quite rudimentary, there are actual supernatural games for sale in stores such as Toys R Us. In 2014, a Ouija Board marketed for children and young adults saw a sale increase of a whopping 300%!
Researchers have looked into why people are so fascinated with supernatural games. To understand this, we need to look at three reasons why people are so fascinated by horror films. These three reasons are relevance, tension, and unreal ism. In other words, some part of the horror film is relevant for the watcher, yet the viewer will experience suspense and a situation that is far removed from their own reality despite the relevance. A similar explanation could be found for the Charlie Charlie Challenge. Another theory by Dr. Carl Jung claims that supernatural scary films actually go deep into our collective subconscious and connect to a so-called primordial archetype. However, this theory is subject to quite a lot of criticism within the psychological society.
So, since there is no research into the effects of these games on the psyche of children and adults, it is impossible to determine if they are from a psychological standpoint. Of course, it also opens the door to some interesting psychological research that would be well-worth exploring.
Religious Standpoint
Since children are attempting to contact demons during the Charlie Charlie Challenge, there has been a reaction from the Catholic Church. One priest called Father Stephen McCarthy gave the following warning to his students:
"There is a dangerous game going around on social media which openly encourages impressionable young people to summon demons. I want to remind you all there is no such thing as 'innocently playing with demons'. Please be sure to NOT participate and encourage others to avoid participation as well. The problem with opening yourself up to demonic activity is that it opens a window of possibilities which is not easily closed."
Conclusion
As I often think from a psychological perspective, there is no evidence that playing supernatural games could cause harm to children. That being said, there is such a thing as common sense. Even though there is no evidence to prove that harm is being caused, there is no proof that no harm is being caused either. So, this is very much a case reminiscent of schrodinger's cat. It could, or it could not.
At the end of the day, it is important to educate children on the dangers of playing with supernatural games and their implications. Information and education tends to be the right course of action, even though if children seem to dismiss any efforts made towards it. But at the end of the day, the message will be in the back of their mind.