Two- or three-year-olds who constantly say, "I don't want to" are often described in Chinese as being like cats and dogs that no one wants. Similarly, English has the phrase 'terrible twos,' while Japanese refers to them as 魔の2歳児 (devilish 2-year-old). This reflects a universal challenge of raising young children across different cultural backgrounds.

Facing mischievous toddlers who cry incessantly like little devils, one Japanese company decided to "ask the ghost for medicine" and launched an app called “Ghost Call,” where parents can have ghosts call their kids directly. The application was developed by Media Active in 2012 with over 26 million downloads.

The App lists various scenarios that parents might encounter—such as children not listening, refusing sleep or food, fighting siblings—and allows users to choose from different folk tale monsters for the 'ghost calls.'

If a parent selects "Red Demon" (赤鬼), who can instantly calm crying kids, it will display an incoming call screen showing Red Demon making the phone call. After answering, Red Demon politely talks with parents about their child's situation and asks if they should visit immediately. Then he demands to speak directly with the kid, scolding them sternly: "If you don’t listen, I’ll eat you!"

The founder of Media Active, Kazuki Sasaki from Akita Prefecture, shared that his childhood experience being scared by local folklore like 生剥鬼 (Kagebokushi) taught him many important lessons. This inspired the creation of “Ghost Call.”

Sasaki believes in using ghosts and monsters to educate children about not doing bad things or approaching dangerous places as a form of "ancestral wisdom."

In March, they invited comedian Kintaoro to play Red Demon for an episode.

The app also features non-scary characters like Santa Claus during Christmas. It collaborates with various entities such as the Tokyo Metro and Osaka City Design Education Institute on safety campaigns aimed at children.

While many users find it helpful in managing their kids' behavior, others criticize its use of fear-based education methods which they believe can be harmful to sensitive children or lead them into imitating inappropriate language from videos.

Sasaki explains that while ghost characters may look scary, the messages conveyed are meant not just for scaring but also explaining why parents discipline and what actions need correction.

He emphasizes that parenting should aim at teaching kids about dangers and fostering good habits. With busy schedules today, many adults lack time to communicate effectively with their children; hence apps like “Ghost Call” can serve as a useful tool in guiding them.

Sasaki advises parents to observe how different modes of the app affect their child's behavior before deciding which one is best suited.

He concludes that there’s no single right way for every situation and context, but it should always aim at making children listen carefully and think about why they need to do something.

(; Image source: Media Active)