| Digital Obsession: Stealing Childhood, Mental Health and Lives | | | Lalit Gargg
How frightening and deadly addiction to online gaming and immersion in the virtual world can become was starkly exposed by two separate incidents that occurred on the same day at different places. These tragedies have not only shaken society to its core but have also raised a profound question mark over our times, our social structure, and our collective negligence. The extent to which this slowly spreading tendency is engulfing adolescents—and how heartbreaking its consequences can be—was illustrated by two horrific incidents that took place on Wednesday. In one heart-rending incident, three minor sisters in Ghaziabad jumped to their deaths from the ninth floor. The untimely loss of these three tender girls aged 12, 14, and 16 has left the entire nation stunned. Obsessed with an online Korean game, the sisters dreamed of settling in Korea and starting a new life there. When their family, distressed by their growing online obsession, confiscated their mobile phones, the girls reportedly slipped into deep stress and depression. Ultimately, all three ended their lives by jumping from the ninth floor.
A similar tragedy unfolded in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, where a fifteen-year-old boy committed suicide at home after being devastated by the separation from an online foreign gaming companion. The boy was a Class 10 student. These incidents have not merely shocked society; they have inflicted a deep emotional wound. These are neither isolated nor accidental cases. Earlier incidents reported from Jhabua, Bhopal, and other parts of the country indicate how the virtual world is increasingly overpowering real life, and how, unknowingly, we are shaping a society where emotions, dialogue, and life values are slowly suffocating behind screens.
Online gaming in itself is not a crime, nor is technology an enemy. But when it turns into an addiction for children and adolescents, it becomes a slow poison. This poison silently infiltrates young minds, distorting their thinking, emotional framework, and decision-making abilities. The gaming world offers instant thrill, virtual victories, and imaginary identities, but gradually it disconnects children from real life. Family, friends, studies, nature, physical play, and meaningful conversation all begin to fade away. The extreme and tragic step taken by the three sisters in Ghaziabad is the most horrifying manifestation of this disconnection. Experts believe that excessive online gaming weakens impulse control in children’s brains. Their ability to assess risk diminishes, and emotional instability increases. In situations of defeat, failure, or being deprived of games, depression, anger, and frustration intensify. At times, children even begin to perceive suicide as a kind of “game over.” This mindset is extremely dangerous. The rising tendency of suicide is not merely a mental health issue; it is a grave social challenge that questions our upbringing, our priorities, and our policies.
In today’s families, parental busyness, the growing prevalence of nuclear families, and the lack of communication are pushing children towards loneliness. In many households, smartphones have become the easiest way to buy a child’s silence. A crying child, a stubborn child, or the compulsion of not having time—mobile phones have emerged as a quick fix for everything. But this very solution later turns into the biggest problem. We forget that a child does not merely seek entertainment, but guidance, affection, and time. When all of this is provided by a screen, the role of the family automatically weakens. Another harsh truth is that many parents themselves are victims of digital addiction. In such circumstances, their moral and practical authority to restrain children also weakens. We expect children to limit their mobile usage while our own hands remain glued to phones all the time. This double standard creates confusion as well as rebellion in young minds. Therefore, the solution lies not merely in controlling children, but in restoring balance within the entire family environment.
The role of the government and society is equally crucial in this crisis. The online gaming industry is expanding rapidly, yet there is a glaring lack of adequate regulation and oversight of its social impact. Many games portray violence, aggression, and risky behavior as normal and exciting. Strict enforcement of age-appropriate content, time limits, and warning mechanisms for children is no longer an option—it has become a necessity. The government must develop a clear and stringent regulatory framework for online gaming and digital content, placing children’s safety at the center. Schools, too, have an extremely important role to play. Education cannot remain confined to textbooks alone. Digital literacy, mental health awareness, and life skills must become an integral part of education. Children must be taught how to use technology, not how to become slaves to it. Teachers must also take behavioral changes, loneliness, irritability, and sudden decline in academic performance seriously.
The social stigma surrounding psychological help must also be dismantled. Mental health should not be seen as a weakness, but as an essential component of overall well-being. If signs of depression, excessive withdrawal, aggression, or suicidal thoughts appear in a child, seeking professional help in time is crucial. Delay often turns into irreversible loss. Undoubtedly, these suicides raise serious questions about the devastating impact of excessive online activity on mental health. They serve as a stark warning to policymakers and parents about an impending crisis. These tragic incidents expose a dangerous trend: while gaming and digital connectivity may provide millions of young people with virtual communities and entertainment, they can simultaneously deepen emotional vulnerabilities, social isolation, and unmet mental health needs.
At the same time, sociologists emphasize that gaming or online friendships alone cannot be the sole cause of suicide. Suicide is a complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon. However, problematic digital engagement—especially when combined with isolation from offline life, disrupted education, and intense emotional stress—can significantly aggravate distress in sensitive young minds. The Ghaziabad incident also forces us to reflect on the kind of world we are creating for our children. Did we give them dialogue, or merely devices? Did we give them values, or only facilities? Did we give them time to be heard, or only orders to be followed? This introspection should not be confined to the affected families alone; the entire society must look within itself. This incident is a warning, a turning point. If we dismiss it as just another piece of news, such tragedies will only multiply in the future.
Society, the government, and every family must come together to take firm yet sensitive steps. Rejecting technology is not the solution, but accepting it without control is equally self-destructive. Balance, communication, and participation are the true foundations of children’s safety. Whether it is the three sisters of Ghaziabad or the young boy of Kullu, their untimely deaths remind us that if we do not act now, this electronic threat will continue to consume our homes, our future, and our sensitivities. This is the time to awaken, to reflect, and to take concrete action—because this is not merely a question of technology, but a question of life itself. |
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