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When it comes to the youth, the suicide statistics are staggering. Up to 50 per cent of mental, behavioural and psychological problems have their onset during adolescence
Every 3 seconds someone attempts suicide in India. Approximately one lakh people commit suicide every year. The most cited reason for suicide is ‘family problems’. Depression is the most prevalent disorder. When it comes to the youth, the suicide statistics are staggering. Up to 50 per cent of mental, behavioural and psychological problems have their onset during adolescence. India has the highest rate of student suicides in the world. It is one of the top 3 causes of deaths amongst people within the age group of 15-35. Every one hour a student commits suicide in India.
These are facts – cold, hard, depressing facts.
Please stop the ragging.
The world is better off without me.
These are heart-breaking examples of suicide notes. When students kill themselves because they were ragged / hazed in school or college, or because they don’t feel they’re worthy of anything or anyone – it raises worrisome questions that society needs to address immediately.
India has the world’s highest number of 10-24 year olds, recorded at around 35.6 crore people! At least 20 per cent of India’s young people are likely to experience some form of mental health concerns. 20 per cent of 35.6 crores – that’s more than 7 crore people! And to put into perspective how humungous this number really is, you only need to consider that out of a total of 196 countries in the world – 177 of them don’t even have an overall population of 7 crore people!
Students, the world over, face a whole lot of issues – racial, sexual or religious discrimination; low self-esteem; body-shaming; sexual challenges; emotional issues; family-related problems; monetary hurdles; drug addiction; and even hormonal changes that lead to personality changes. And all of these may lead to a host of mental concerns ranging from anxiety to depression and in its extreme form – suicidal tendencies. We all are well aware that just the pressure of doing well in exams and living up to the expectations of one’s family can create serious mental health concerns in students.
In recent times, the dreaded Blue Whale Challenge (BWC) game has played havoc with the minds of the youth the world over. It has succeeded in infecting the highly impressionable minds of the youth and is fast becoming a pandemic. A game invented in Russia by a ‘death group’ poses 50 challenges, most of them involving self-harm and culminating in suicide.
Players who try to leave the game mid-way find themselves and their families threatened by the curators. Brainwashed or bullied into seeing the game through to its horrifying conclusion, young kids have resorted to mutilating themselves and even taking their own lives to complete the challenge. Those who are depressed or facing issues are most vulnerable to it. Since it is forbidden, it has its own lure. This game has perpetrated hundreds of suicides the world over.
India has seen three BWC deaths while two were thankfully were averted by timely intervention. Interestingly, families of the alleged victims of the BWC in India are likely to distance themselves from the game to avoid the media spotlight and the stigma that is now attached to it. No one wishes to become the source of half-baked melodrama in a ‘Breaking News’ story. They’re trying to protect their kids.
But the fact remains that BWC has reared its ugly head in India. We need to take steps quickly and precisely to stop it in its tracks. Several measures are required. Parents need to be vigilant and digitally literate. What their children are surfing on their phones and computers needs to be monitored. If their online activity is veering towards the undesirable or potentially harmful, parents need to sit their kids down and talk to them, even get them professional help if necessary. Schools and colleges need to be aware of the dangers and hold interactive workshops to warn against the dangers of this game and its ilk.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India needs to step up as well. The IT Act 2000 needs amendment in the laws keeping in mind the current scenarios and resort to censoring or blocking the internet for BWC-related content and its ilk. Internationally, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, etc. have already been asked to take the game off their portals. In India, despite a government order, a simple search on any of these of portals will lead to the realization that links to the game can still be found. As a society, we need to take a stand and protect our children from this sickening form of mind control.
These are facts – cold, hard, depressing facts.
Please stop the ragging.
The world is better off without me.
These are heart-breaking examples of suicide notes. When students kill themselves because they were ragged / hazed in school or college, or because they don’t feel they’re worthy of anything or anyone – it raises worrisome questions that society needs to address immediately.
India has the world’s highest number of 10-24 year olds, recorded at around 35.6 crore people! At least 20 per cent of India’s young people are likely to experience some form of mental health concerns. 20 per cent of 35.6 crores – that’s more than 7 crore people! And to put into perspective how humungous this number really is, you only need to consider that out of a total of 196 countries in the world – 177 of them don’t even have an overall population of 7 crore people!
Students, the world over, face a whole lot of issues – racial, sexual or religious discrimination; low self-esteem; body-shaming; sexual challenges; emotional issues; family-related problems; monetary hurdles; drug addiction; and even hormonal changes that lead to personality changes. And all of these may lead to a host of mental concerns ranging from anxiety to depression and in its extreme form – suicidal tendencies. We all are well aware that just the pressure of doing well in exams and living up to the expectations of one’s family can create serious mental health concerns in students.
In recent times, the dreaded Blue Whale Challenge (BWC) game has played havoc with the minds of the youth the world over. It has succeeded in infecting the highly impressionable minds of the youth and is fast becoming a pandemic. A game invented in Russia by a ‘death group’ poses 50 challenges, most of them involving self-harm and culminating in suicide.
Players who try to leave the game mid-way find themselves and their families threatened by the curators. Brainwashed or bullied into seeing the game through to its horrifying conclusion, young kids have resorted to mutilating themselves and even taking their own lives to complete the challenge. Those who are depressed or facing issues are most vulnerable to it. Since it is forbidden, it has its own lure. This game has perpetrated hundreds of suicides the world over.
India has seen three BWC deaths while two were thankfully were averted by timely intervention. Interestingly, families of the alleged victims of the BWC in India are likely to distance themselves from the game to avoid the media spotlight and the stigma that is now attached to it. No one wishes to become the source of half-baked melodrama in a ‘Breaking News’ story. They’re trying to protect their kids.
But the fact remains that BWC has reared its ugly head in India. We need to take steps quickly and precisely to stop it in its tracks. Several measures are required. Parents need to be vigilant and digitally literate. What their children are surfing on their phones and computers needs to be monitored. If their online activity is veering towards the undesirable or potentially harmful, parents need to sit their kids down and talk to them, even get them professional help if necessary. Schools and colleges need to be aware of the dangers and hold interactive workshops to warn against the dangers of this game and its ilk.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India needs to step up as well. The IT Act 2000 needs amendment in the laws keeping in mind the current scenarios and resort to censoring or blocking the internet for BWC-related content and its ilk. Internationally, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, etc. have already been asked to take the game off their portals. In India, despite a government order, a simple search on any of these of portals will lead to the realization that links to the game can still be found. As a society, we need to take a stand and protect our children from this sickening form of mind control.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house. Unless otherwise noted, the author is writing in his/her personal capacity. They are not intended and should not be thought to represent official ideas, attitudes, or policies of any agency or institution.
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