There has been a lot of chatter (media/social media reports) about Huggy Wuggy, in relation to concerning content on YouTube, YouTube Kids, Roblox and TikTok. If you’re not aware, Huggy Wuggy is a blue, furry, sharp-toothed character from a 12+ horror-genre game called Poppy Playtime.
What we know:
- Huggy Wuggy is a creature invented for a 12+ horror game called Poppy’s Playtime.
- The scary and violent content featuring Huggy Wuggy is not actually aimed at children – the character was originally designed to scare adults.
- Huggy Wuggy toys are being marketed at children and children are seeing videos on youtube etc.
- The popularity of Huggy Wuggy is very real, but the fears that children are being brainwashed into acts of violence seem to be panic/hysteria.
Please make sure you:
- Ensure all parental controls are in place and child settings activated on the devices your children use.
- Ensure that your child/ren are always accompanied by an adult when they use the internet.
- Talk to your child/ren and remind them to talk to you if they see anything online that they are unsure about, that worries or upsets them.