Introduction
1. Prologue
2. How do you play Charlie Charlie?
3. Where did the Charlie Charlie challenge come from?
4. Why is it popular (again) right now?
5. Who is Charlie Charlie anyway?
6. Why should I care? (Should I even care?!)
7. Is this as dangerous as some of the other viral teen challenges going around?
Prologue
If you are one of those crotchety people who believe the kids these days are somehow less inspired than generations before, then I come bearing new evidence: Even their superstitions are lamer than ours!
"Charlie Charlie," a game/Internet urban legend of sudden and inexplicable popularity, surged to the top of the global social media charts this weekend after kicking around on the Spanish-language Internet for much of eternity. As of this writing, #CharlieCharlieChallenge has been tweeted more than 1.6 million times. More people are Googling "Charlie Charlie" than virtually any other news event.
How do you play Charlie Charlie?
Simple! You could, if you wanted, even do it at your desk.
1. Gather your materials: You will need a pencil, a piece of paper, and two other pencils of the same size. The pencils should be sharpened to ensure that they can move freely.
2. Draw a grid: On the piece of paper, draw a grid with two lines, one horizontal and one vertical, to divide the paper into four equal quadrants. In each quadrant, write the words “Yes” and “No.”
3. Place the pencils: Place one pencil on top of the other pencil to form a cross. The top pencil should be balanced on the bottom pencil’s eraser, making sure that the pencils are perpendicular to each other.
4. Ask Charlie: The game begins by asking Charlie a series of yes or no questions. The questions should be simple and straightforward, such as “Charlie, are you here?” or “Charlie, will it rain tomorrow?”
5. Wait for a response: After asking the question, wait for a few seconds to see if the pencils move on their own. If they do, it is believed to be a response from Charlie. If they do not move, you can ask the question again or move on to another question.
6. End the game: Once you have finished asking your questions, it is essential to end the game correctly. To end the game, say “Charlie, Charlie, can we stop?” If the pencils move toward the “No” quadrant, it is believed that Charlie does not want to end the game. In this case, you should continue playing until you get a response that allows you to end the game safely.
Where did the Charlie Charlie challenge come from?
While it's hard to pin down an exact country of origin, Charlie Charlie (also spelled Charly Charly) has a long history as a schoolyard game in the Spanish-speaking world. According to one seven-year-old Yahoo! Respuestas thread — that's Yahoo Answers to you — kids have played a version of the "classic game" in Spain for generations.
Traditionally, this version with the crossed pencils was called the "Juego de la Lapicera" — a term that still turns up lots of creepy stuff on Google — and "Charlie Charlie" was a distinct game, played with colored pencils. At some point in their Internet and playground travels, the two games seem to have merged. In either case, both have always had demonic or supernatural connotations; one site calls Lapicera "the poor man's Ouija board."
Why is it popular (again) right now?
It's always hard to say exactly why these things trend, but the latest bubble seems to have begun in late April in the Dominican province of Hato Mayor when a local TV news station broadcast a very alarmist (and unintentionally funny) report about the "Satanic" game overtaking local schools. From there, social media users in the Dominican Republic began tweeting, Instagramming, and Vining about the game; by mid-May, the phrase "Charlie Charlie" was trending on Dominican Twitter, an easy jump away from the rest of Spanish-language Web.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, a 17-year-old girl in central Georgia Instagrammed her game and slapped it with the hashtag #CharlieCharlieChallenge. That hashtag was all the kids needed: It's been tweeted 1.6 million times since then.
Why should I care? (Should I even care?!)
I mean, you should care if you're seeking supernatural answers to your life questions. (Excepting questions about love, death, and money, which — per certain versions of the legend — Charlie will not answer.)
Even if that doesn't exactly describe you, though, Charlie makes a killer case study in virality and how things move in and out of languages and cultures online. You'll notice, for instance, a lot of players and reporters talking about the game as if it were new when it's actually — and more interestingly, I think — an old game that has just recently crossed the language divide.
This is also, pretty notably, yet another example of the power of the teenage Internet. Write off their little games as silly, sure — but we never trended "Bloody Mary" or "Ouija board."
Is this as dangerous as some of the other viral teen challenges going around?
Some people believe that the Charlie Charlie Challenge game is just a hoax and that the pencils move due to natural causes such as gravity, uneven surfaces, or air currents. However, others claim that there is a supernatural explanation behind the game’s movement. Regardless of what you believe, it is essential to approach the Charlie Charlie Challenge game with caution and respect.
Some people believe that the Charlie Charlie Challenge game is a harmless form of entertainment, while others believe it is a gateway to demonic possession. Regardless of what you believe, it is essential to note that the game can be dangerous and should be played with caution.
Given that no one’s setting themselves on fire, inhaling a caustic substance, or deforming their lips, Charlie Charlie looks … pretty harmless. That said, according to popular legend, Charlie haunts players who fail to say goodbye before they close out of the game. And there are, predictably, a whole lot of people who don’t love the kids-summoning-demons thing.
Safety Tips
Here are some safety tips to keep in mind while playing the Charlie Charlie Challenge game:
1. Do not play alone: It is best to play the game with a group of people rather than play it alone. This will ensure that there are other people around in case something goes wrong.
2. Do not take the game too seriously: It is important to remember that the game is just a form of entertainment and should not be taken too seriously. It is not a gateway to the supernatural, and there is no evidence to support the claim.
Impressum
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 18.08.2023
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