Drew Lietke was a typical 13-year-old boy from New Berlin.
“He was in the scouts, he was active in church, he was very much an American kid,” said Mike, Drew’s father. “He never gave us any trouble.”
Despite suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder and being treated for depression, Drew was “actively involved and not seemingly glum or blue or anything like that,” according to his parents.
It was all the more devastating when Drew took his own life in January 2018.
“It was truly a shock,” Mike said.
After spending the last year researching what may have caused Drew to succumb to his depression, Mike and Carol (Drew’s mother) believe an online game may have been the trigger.
Doki Doki Literature Club! is a psychological horror game. It includes a disclaimer, but it’s easy to download.
The game consists of several troubling plot points, including two girls committing suicide. Young gamers suffering from mental illness may struggle to comprehend the difference between the game and real life, according to child psychiatrists.
“For a lot of kids who are immersed in the world of gaming, they can have a hard time separating reality from fantasy,” said Dr. Mike Zussman, owner of Sunrise Counseling in Whitefish Bay. “They’re connecting with characters in the game. That connection can be very powerful and the suggestions (the characters make) can be damaging.”
A few days after downloading the game, Drew began cutting himself, according to his dad. Shortly thereafter, he began researching suicide on Google. In January, he was gone.
“(The game) was definitely a trigger,” said his father. “Drew did not compute the finality of death.”
Drew is not the only boy who may have been affected by the game.
The Momo Challenge may be a hoax, but there are online triggers that can prompt someone to harm themselves.
