Parents need to be vigilant as a new cyber game can push children to perform many dares, including suicide, says Debasrita Chakraborty
Technologically connected and emotionally living in a vacuum — that seems to have been the case with a 14-year-old Mumbai boy who jumped off from a building recently. He was performing the final task in an online game called Blue Whale.
The game, which is seemingly prevalent in many parts of the world, has originated from Russia. Even though the inventor of the game is under custody, the game is increasingly gaining popularity over the internet. This dangerous challenge has already taken a number of lives across the globe, including 130 in Russia, and has become a major cause for worry among parents.
Several challenges are thrown in the way of teens and pre-teens in today’s complex world. There is always an urge to fit into the society while there is also the compelling pull of technology — where adults are often not able to keep up with their wards.
Faced with a bewildering and ever-changing world, adolescents today face many dualities. Dr Samir Parikh, psychiatrist, Fortis Healthcare, shares, “Self-esteem, self-recognition, ego, acceptance, emotional turmoil, proving oneself better than others, fitting into the peer groups, suffering through inferiority complex on various issues are few basic teenage problems that are to be dealt with.”
The over-dependence of today’s youth on technology is what fuels games like Blue Whale. Purely based on the relationship between the participant or the challengers and the administrators, the Blue Whale challenge is driven by the internet or the social media game wherein the participants accepting the challenge are given a series of tasks like waking up at 4:20 a.m, climbing a crane, carving a specific phrase or the figure of a blue whale on the hand or arm, doing secret tasks, poking a needle in the arm or leg, standing on a bridge and roof, listening to music and watching videos sent to the challengers by the administrator, all of which can be completed over a period of 50 days. The alleged final task is suicide and every task has to be filmed and shared as proof of completing it.
The Blue Whale Challenge follows closely on the heels of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, a show which deals with a troubled teen and her reasons to commit suicide.
Dr Parikh emphasises, “It is a ridiculously, unbelievably and a pathetically sad idea, especially as it clearly affects young lives. At a growing stage, if one gets hooked to such games, the feeling of recognition, peer support and proving yourself with words like guts, power and energy, then one starts losing consciousness and is unable to differentiate between the real and virtual world. It damages the person as due to the virtual achievements, the understanding of risk that is inherent fades away.” Dr Parikh adds that what is especially worrying is that celebrating suicide in the end can also lead to copycat suicides. This means “an emulation of another suicide that the person attempting suicide knows about either from local knowledge or due to accounts or depictions of the original suicide on television and in other media.”
“Parents should keep an eye on teens as it is one of the most vulnerable stages of their life. Parents should make all attempts to bridge the gap if any, between them and their kids in order to give them a proper guidance. The urge to do daring and adventurous activities, mainly to establish a proof of relevance, along with isolation are few reasons for the kids to take up such challenges,” says Dr Ekta Soni, chief clinical psychologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.
Preferably, children should not be left alone as the teenage years are a really delicate stage. “Isolation in terms of not having someone to share your daily routine is a factor for children submerging themselves into the digital world,” adds Soni. Children are not equipped to grow and develop the skills one needs to manage stress. It is essential to be able to differentiate between the right and the wrong from a young age.
Actor Aamir Khan, too, reacted to the controversy recently, saying, “I feel everything has its disadvantages. Internet is a new medium but if not used right, it can cause problems. The best of things, when not put to right use, can cause harm. Obviously, we try to teach our kids to do the right thing. To an extent, it’s the parents’, teachers’ and family members’ responsibility to show our kids the right path.”