After outcry over the lethally addictive Blue Whale and Pokemon Go games, another online pastime has young adults under its spell. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, a mulitplayer battle game popularly called PUBG, has authorities across the country worried that it is altering the behaviour and routine of children for worse.
On Wednesday, in the wake of uproar from parents, the Gujarat government issued a circular to district authorities to ensure a ban on the freely downloadable PUBG app.
In a letter to the Union HRD and IT ministries, state education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said, "The PUBG mobile application is spreading like a contagious disease among kids and youth. It's like an addiction in which they do not care for their physical and mental health. And its features have a violent impact on the psyche of adolescents, which can be disastrous in the long run."
In the letter, Chudasama cited the case of a boy in Rajkot who allegedly ended his life when he wasn't allowed to play the game, which causes depression, social phobia and loneliness among those who play it ceaselessly.The concerns are valid as gaming addiction is not easy to treat, and it is widespread.
Recently, it was reported that a student body in Jammu and Kashmir had sought a ban on the game. Parents in Mumbai and Delhi are also hoping for the game to be taken off the app store, claiming that it is responsible for their children's slipping grades and violent mood swings.
Smriti Mamgai, a resident of the national capital and mother of two teens, said she wanted the Delhi government to follow Gujarat's example. "For the past six months, I have been arguing with my kids over reduce the time they devote to the game. Their grades have slipped but I have been unable to talk sense into them," she said.
Arundhati Chavan, the chairperson of a Parents Teachers Association in Mumbai, sought restrictions on the game. "Kids are getting distracted from studies and submitting assignments late. We are observing behavioral problems and dipping concentration levels. Since most games like PUBG are played at night, the players are deprived of sleep, which impacts their attention in classrooms," she said.
"Gaming addicts are some of our commonest cases. We receive two to three new cases a week at our clinic," said Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, senior psychiatrist, AIIMS. "Most youngsters get addicted to games that are played in real time and involve multiple players. PUBG is among the most common addiction these days," he said.
In some cases, medication might be required, but mostly encouraging a change in thought patterns, a strict schedule and behavioral analysis can yield results, doctors say.
Another Delhi resident, Harmandeep Sandhu, recalls how he was "forced" to ground his son when he refused to give up playing PUBG. "I cut his access to phone,
Playstation and television in a bid to discipline him. The game is like a narcotic; he was completely hooked till I put my foot down."
In Gujarat, the Children's Rights Protection Commission chairperson Jagruti Pandya had brought the matter to state education minister Chudasama's attention, after several cases of children being adversely impacted by the game had come to her notice.
Earlier, Gujarat had banned games like Blue Whale, the online 'suicide' game, and Pokemon Go, after a string of deaths were reported across the state.