Turning youth into killers

The murder of a female doctor and her three children in a locality of Lahore a week back has shocked many. What is even more dreadful is the fact that police believe that the murders were committed by a member of the same family who wanted to prove his ability to kill after being defeated in the popular videogame known as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PubG).

There has been a lot of discussion around the addiction that many young men and women seem to have developed for this particular game, which seems to promote violence and drug use. In the last two years, there have been about a dozen similar incidents across Punjab in which players have resorted to extreme acts, usually under the influence of drugs, after they were defeated in the game.

In 2021, three children committed suicide in Lahore alone. PubG was found open on their mobile phones next to their bodies. One of the children killed himself just because his family members had snatched his mobile phone from him. After this incident, the Pakistan Telecom Authority, the regulator tasked with overseeing online gaming, placed a temporary restriction on the game. But soon after, enthusiasts once again had access to the game.

As things stand, there is no law for regulating online games in Pakistan. In comparison, other countries in the region have recognised the danger such games pose particularly on the youth and have taken preventive measures. India, for example, has enacted laws to regulate online gaming. It is just one of the many countries that have banned PubG. Other countries where the game is banned include China, Jordan, Nepal and Iraq.

With the rise in these incidents of senseless violence, the Lahore police has written a letter to the IG Punjab in which it was recommended that a complete ban be imposed on PubG in Pakistan through PTA. Police say there are many examples where PubG players have resorted to violence after facing setbacks in the game. A similar incident happened when a young man, intoxicated with ice, broke into his neighbour’s house and killed everyone as he was doing a PubG exercise. Experts say that addiction to such games usually triggers illegal substance abuse. After that, players lose their senses and commit such gruesome acts. Players in Pakistan seem to have taken a keen liking to this particular game and there are fears that more such incidents could be witnessed if the government does not take action.

In the latest incident, police say that the alleged murderer was 16 to 18 years of age and was playing a PubG game on the night between January 18 and 19. He was defeated during the game and to avenge this defeat and to test his ability to kill, he decided to practise with his family.

Many are shocked by the violence. A writ petition has been submitted in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking a ban on PubG. The petition links violent incidents in Punjab, especially the recent killing, with PubG. The petitioner’s counsel, Nadeem Sarwar, contends that the World Health Organization in 2018 had declared gaming addiction as a mental health disorder as it increased depression and anxiety levels.

The question, of course, is how to move ahead. To begin with, one must recognise that online games have witnessed unparalleled popularity all over Pakistan in the past few years especially amongst the youth. At the same time there is no mechanism in place to review the content of such games and to categorise them. If we recognise that such games have such an impact on their players, then it is time for the government to launch a public awareness drive so as to inform parents, in particular, about the dangers this pastime poses to their children.

Of course, at the end of the day it all boils down to how attentive parents are to the needs and actions of their children. As our society moves ahead, it seems that old world values, like in the case of many countries across the world, are being abandoned.

While gaming enthusiasts argue that there is no link between the games and the violence that ensues, it is time to review the policy of allowing all such games to be accessible in Pakistan. We need to protect our impressionable youth. There must be some recognition of the threats such games pose.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.