A heartbreaking news from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh has shaken the entire country. Three minor sisters committed suicide by jumping from the ninth floor of their building. Initial investigation revealed that the three sisters were addicted to a task-based online Korean love game. This incident is not just a tragedy for a family, but also a big warning about the mental safety of children in the digital age.
The three sisters, aged about 12, 14 and 16, living in Bharat City Society of Sahibabad, were engrossed in mobile gaming for a long time. It is said that she neither went to school nor talked to anyone outside the house. All three had also kept Korean names for themselves and started following Korean culture. According to the family, when their father objected to their gaming habit and took away their mobile phones, the three sisters went into deep mental stress. After this, he committed suicide by jumping from the balcony of his flat. A suicide note was also found at the scene, which read, “Mom and Dad, we’re sorry… we can’t leave the game.” So, let’s talk about how to recognize suicidal thoughts if a child is playing online games and what signs you should pay attention to.
What is Korean Love Game?
According to experts, Korean Love Game is an online game in which an unknown person contacts the user through social media. This man, who describes himself as Korean, talks about friendship and love. After gaining the user’s trust, they start giving small tasks. In the beginning, the tasks are easy, but gradually they become more difficult and mentally stressful. If the user refuses to complete the task, he is threatened. This type of game consists of about 50 tasks, which last for several days.
How do online games affect the minds of children?
Experts say that the brains of children and teenagers are not fully developed. Therefore, they begin to perceive the game’s characters and challenges as the real world. The pressure to complete the task, fear and fear of failure weaken their decision-making ability. Furthermore, according to American psychologist Jean M. Twenge’s book “iGen”, cases of depression and suicide among youth have increased rapidly since 2011 due to addiction to online gaming and social media.
What signs should you pay attention to? If your child constantly thinks about their mobile phone or games, shows anger or irritability when stopped from playing, starts withdrawing from family and friends, has disrupted sleep and daily routine, doesn’t feel like studying, and often feels sad, scared, or empty, these could be signs of online gaming addiction. According to experts, if four to five of these signs are seen continuously, then parents should immediately become alert.
What should parents do?
Experts say that giving mobile phones to children is not completely wrong, but monitoring is very important. Parents should talk openly with their children, monitor their screen time, and use parental controls on their smartphones. Parental controls can help limit children’s access to games, apps, and online content. With this they can stay away from dangerous games and challenges.
