MANOJ KUMAR JENA, OP
Bhubaneswar: The tragic death of three minor sisters who allegedly jumped off their ninth-floor apartment in Ghaziabad Wednesday over a reported addiction to Korean drama and K-pop, has sparked concerns about how mobile phone and gaming addiction can lead to tragic consequences even among teenagers. In this context, the city’s psychiatrists have shed light on the root cause of the tragic incident, blaming early access to smartphones and social media content at an early age have impacted the minds of children. Amrit Pattojoshi, a distinguished psychiatrist and head of the psychiatry department at Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital here, termed it ‘suicide contagion’. He also informed that early age access to phones plays a key role in these kinds of incidents. “It is a case of suicide contagion, a process where suicidal contents trigger suicidal thoughts in the victim. In the minors’ case, they belonged to the same family and carried the same vulnerability.
Besides, they were in adolescent age, which is considered the most vulnerable stage of a person,” said Pattojoshi. Pattojoshi also said that it’s high time parents should think twice before handing phones to their children. “Parents shouldn’t take this case lightly; most of the children are addicted to phones now, and it cannot be addressed immediately. To prevent any tragedies, parents should regulate the screen time of their kids from an early age. Social media and excessive phone exposure have deeply affected our children. Children below 14 years should not be exposed to social media or they must use it under proper supervision of their parents. The government should also step in to address this issue,” said Pattojoshi.
However, students, particularly teenagers, claim that smartphones have become an important part of their studies now. “I always use the phone to study as everything is available here and we get instant solutions,” said Sai Swarupa Senapati, a class X student. “Even though we are getting all the notifications of school and tuition through phones, it becomes easier for us to study,” said another student. Jyoti Prakash C K Acharya, a renowned consultant neuropsychiatrist, parents should approach such a situation with sensitivity and should not provide personal smartphones until the child is mature enough. “When young lives are lost, it’s never because of a single show or screen, but silent distress that goes unheard. For many children, dramas and games become refuge, identity and escape from loneliness or pressure. The real tragedy is not addiction, but absence of emotional connection. Parents must replace surveillance with sensitivity—listening without judgment, guiding screen use wisely, delaying personal devices and nurturing real bonds beyond screens,” said Acharya.
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