PUBG Fever Rises in Kashmir, parents appeal Governor to ban

Yasmeen Manzoor

Srinagar, Jan 12(KNB):The 2018 award winning mobile game PUBG (Player Unknowns Battle Ground),has taken over the online gaming scene by storm over the past few months, with its popularity in Jammu and Kashmir, rising to such a point that not only youth, kids to an extreme level are also hooked on to it.



Every now and then, we have been exposed to reports of young minds falling prey to PUBG MOBILE’s addiction. It is this immense addiction that made a fitness trainer get admitted to a hospital,after the game’s addiction took over his senses. The fitness trainer, was introduced to PUBG MOBILE ten days ago and immediately got addicted to the game after playing a single match, the addiction rose to such an extent that while playing the game, the man started hitting himself, eventually injuring himself badly and lost his consciousness entirely under the influence of PUBG.

Pertinently, the locals have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik to get such “life-threatening” online games banned in the state and country.

While Talking to Kashmir News Bureau, a  psychiatrist doctor Junaid Ul Islam said “As a psychiatrist, i would say these kind of games take our children away from real world and make them live in fantasy world that creates problems of adjustment in their practical life. While these games may play role in development of intellect as well but physical co curricular activities are a better option for children of budding age.”

Talking to Kashmir News Bureau, Javeed Ahmad, a senior citizen said, “Addiction to online games is becoming more widespread among young generation and get detached from normal existence and forget to eat or sleep as they interact with screen characters, the problem is not just restricted to young youth our small kids are getting addicted towards it.”

“These gamers avoid their problems by playing games, which in turn interferes with their lives because they’re so busy playing games that they even ignore their studies,bussiness and thus lag behind in every field,” he added.

PUBG, currently holding the attention of an entire generation is the multiplayer online battle royale game in which 100 players are dropped on a map, that has a circle on it symbolling the ‘safe zone’. This circle is constantly shrinking, so players have to make sure to be inside it while also collecting armor and health kits, and killing as many players as possible till they are the last ones standing.

While talking to a young student Ayaan said, “Mobile games create important feelings of competence and autonomy. There is a lot of support for the idea that when we play with others we connect in a really meaningful way, problem is not what you play but how much you play ,who you are playing with and what you are experiencing while playing is the matter of concern, if you are playing in a really obsessive manner then it might become a problem much sooner than if you are playing in a harmonious manner.”

While talking to Kashmir News Bureau, Pooja Sharma said, “Too much of gaming makes the youth socially isolated as they spend less time in other activities such as doing homework, reading, sports and interacting with family and friends. Some violent games teach them wrong values, Violent behaviour and aggression, Games can confuse reality and fantasy, making youth mentally unstable.”(KNB)

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.