A class 12 student committed suicide after his father refused to gift him a mobile phone that he wanted for playing addictive online games reported The Pink City Post. The student celebrated his birthday on February 13 and insisted on getting mobile as a birthday gift. According to a preliminary investigation, the teenager was depressed and committed suicide after the family refused to meet his request for a smartphone.

According to reports, the boy was a resident of the Sitaram Colony in the Sodala police station limits, Jaipur. When the parents did not get the mobile as demanded, he started to remain silent and committed suicide by making a noose of his mother’s sari on Wednesday (February 16) night. However, the police have not found any suicide note yet.

His father, Vijay Singh, found the room bolted from inside and found the boy hanging through a window. With the help of relatives, he broke open the door and rushed Aditya to SMS Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The police handed over the body to family members after a post-mortem examination.

Gaming addiction – Governments advise caution

The Union Ministry of Education last December has warned parents and teachers against rising online gaming addiction among children. Earlier, the Rajasthan government issued an advisory for parents and teachers suggesting measures to safeguard children from addiction to online gaming. The advisory issued by the Rajasthan Council of School Education details technical points which are helpful in monitoring the activities and involvement of the children in gaming. 

The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in September 2021 announced the launch of “digital de-addiction centers” in the state to rehabilitate children inured to online games into the mainstream society under the leadership of the police department. He announced that a centralized facility would soon be set up and the service would be extended to all districts later.