Is the “comma game” really the new danger in schoolyards?

Scarf game, Indian dream, red tomato… No, it’s not a kamoulox, but the names of the games, a little boring at best, decidedly dangerous at worst, that are played in playgrounds.

This year, the novelty is called “comma game”. What else is this story?

The comma game, the new trend?

This “game”, which is only game in name, consists of “twisting the neck” of a child, catching him by surprise, and from behind. To better visualize the maneuver you can discover it in the TikTok video below, one of the most followed on social media and the origin of the craze:

Not the smartest thing in the world, you’ll agree. In addition to being completely stupid, this “game” can also cause significant damage to the neck and vertebrae.

For the moment, the Bordeaux Academy has reported only one case, following the complaint from the mother of a child who was the victim of this dispute. But things must be taken seriously, as Cécile Baron, elected member of the Federation of Parents’ Councils 13, explains to our colleagues at France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur :

As in the case of the scarf game or the Indian dream or the red tomato, the position of the FCPE is to inform parents and children, encourage dialogue between all members of the educational community and establish a climate of dialogue and trust to encourage students to speak without being scared. They.

In fact, even if the proven cases of this game have not been reported to other heads of establishment, the issue is taken seriously, as the rector of the Aix-Marseille Academy specified, for France 3 Provence-Alpes:

We regularly raise awareness among school principals and secondary school managers when dangerous games are reported to us.

Comma game, who is really responsible?

But why, if the number of reports is very low and this game does not seem to have interested many schools, is everyone talking about this new trend? Does the danger lie only in the practice of this “comma”, or in children’s access to social networks?

Patrick de Boisse, pediatrician, says it again at the microphone France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’AzurThis enthusiasm would be lost if children didn’t have such easy access to social networks, allowing them to draw inspiration from dangerous trends and then reproduce them:

Children should not have cell phones in their hands before the age of 16, this would reduce negative influences, not to mention screen addiction..

It’s a little simplistic to think that if we take a screen away from preteens, they won’t play the bullshit they’re watching. The proof is that, long before the advent of the telephone and social networks, dangerous games already existed in playgrounds. The Scarf Game didn’t need TikTok to wreak havoc at school!

Yes, the use of social networks by teenagers and children needs to be better regulated, it is obvious. But demonizing an instrument and holding it responsible for every word is too simple a way to hide behind a much bigger problem than that: the lack of education in empathy and respect for others, and this, right from school. Blaming social networks for school bullying, for dangerous games, for fashions and trends, is like hiding behind a tree that hides an immense forest.

Teaching children to respect others, not to harass, not to be violent, this is the real challenge. Future adults will always find a way to imitate and draw inspiration from their peers. Just like when we teach a two-year-old not to hit others, we must supervise and teach the little ones practices towards screens and their peers, to live well in society.

Comma game, how to protect yourself?

Social networks are now part of our lives, we have to live with them and learn to make the most of them. Of course, it is possible to completely detach ourselves from them, as an individual, but we cannot deny their existence. Sticking our heads in the sand won’t solve violence in schools, it will only isolate those who don’t have access to it and make them more vulnerable to others.

So, in concrete terms, how can we protect children from this new trend? If it hasn’t done any damage yet, it might actually happen. To better stem the problem, perhaps it would be enough to simply provide young people with a basic reminder of the rules of good education. These reminders must come from the school and the adults who take care of the children, but also, obviously, from the parents or those around the children.

This may seem naive and insufficient, especially when you see the damage, sometimes dramatic, of the consequences of harassment in the broad sense, or of completely stupid games like the comma game. But unfortunately no society is created without communication and application of the rules of respect for others, and this starts from an early age. Access to social networks must be strongly controlled and monitored. Children should not be left faced with videos and images that are posted faster than their shadow. It is the task of educators and parents to adapt to the world that exists today and fully accept that yes, social networks exist, yes, viral trends also exist, and that no one can hide their head in the sand. Discourses and education must be adapted accordingly.