Suicide linked to PUBG video gaming: A case report

Abstract

PUBG is an online multiplayer battle game played in India. It is causing addiction in teenagers and adolescents and they refuse any kind of interruption while playing. We report a college student who committed suicide by hanging when scolded by his parents for playing PUBG on his mobile phone and whose parents would not provide the internet pack recharge for it. There have been other cases in India, inviting a discussion to prevent addiction with a law to regulate its use.

PUBG ban and issues of online child safety during COVID-19 lockdown in India: A critical review from the Indian information technology act perspectives

“…Intermediaries may take action against the con-Debarati Halder PUBG Ban and Issues of Online Child Safety During COVID-19 Lockdown in India: A Critical Review from the Indian Information Technology Act Perspectives 316 tent creator/s if on a primary report submitted by a victim they said intermediary may feel that it straightaway violates the terms and policies of the intermediary. But in case the victim's plea is turned down by the intermediary, the latter may not be held liable under S.79 (3) (b) of the IT Act (Bhargava, 2020).…”

“…They did not get the opportunity to socialise with their peers like they would in physical schools. Such isolations impacted their mindsets (Mamun, Griffiths, 2019;Vidua et al, 2020). Online gaming including games involving interactions with fellow gamers, as well as of the gaming platforms, quickly became a hot favourite with children and young adults.…”

“…They may become aggressive in nature and may become addicted to watching sexually explicit content, violent content, etc. They may also try to adopt extremely violent behaviour in real life (Mamun, Griffiths, 2019;Vidua et al, 2020).…”

Impact of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) on mental health

“…The main findings (Table 1) established that individuals engage in gaming as a way of coping with anxiety, depression or trauma. 6 In terms of characteristics of the game and psychopathology, the research established a positive correlation between levels of ADHD and the number of headshots and kills in the game. The survival time in the game, number of hours of play, and the number of rounds played had a significant positive correlation with ADHD and gaming addiction.…”

“…This has also been highlighted by another study that emphasised the importance of understanding the underlying coping mechanisms and conditions that push a person to become addicted to gaming platforms like PUBG, instead of attributing all the detrimental effects solely to PUBG. 6 While countries have been faced with multiple cases involving both adolescents and young adults committing suicide or harming and killing family members, it is essential to understand that simply distancing an individual from gaming might not be successful. It is necessary to not only to monitor gaming tendencies but also the underlying intent.…”