Indian Teenager Commits Suicide After Not Being Allowed To Play PUBG Mobile

PUBG Mobile, the portable free version of the massively popular PC game, took India by storm. The game currently has one of its major demographics stem from the southeastern nation. It has become so popular among the youth that it’s its bad effects have started to show. A 17 year old boy in Jind, Haryana, has reportedly committed suicide after his mother prevented him from playing the game by taking away his phone.

India is not one of the major markets that video game studios target, however, PUBG Mobile’s success certainly did entice the industry. Major names like Activision are also seeking to focus more on the mobile gaming market to capture its broader potential audiences. Gaming has always existed in India, however, not having the same impact as the ones in countries like the US. But as India emerges in the gaming industry, so does its harmful effects. Issues like gaming addiction are bound to arise from popular games like PUBG Mobile.

According to a new report, the mother of the victim found the 17 year old hanging in his room the next morning after snatching away his phone. The deceased had reportedly dropped from school after the 10th grade a year prior to the incident and spent most of his time on PUBG Mobile. The boy’s father and mother had often scolded him for playing the game for hours on end. Such incidents are becoming a more common occurrence as last week a person was killed by his younger brother over the same game. 

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On the 6th of July, Jordan banned PUBG Mobile due to its reportedly negative effects on its citizens. The move was similarly reciprocated in Iraq, Nepal, and even the Indonesian province of Aceh and India’s Gujarat. Game addiction is now officially listed under mental disability category by the World Health Organisation (WHO).