PUBG Marked as ‘Harmful’ and ‘Negative’ by Commission for Protection of Child Rights

The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has announced that online video games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto, God of War, Hitman, and more as harmful, negative and having an adverse impact on the children's brain.

While there is no such ‘ban’ on any of these games, the announcement was made in the wake of multiple cases of addiction and even suicide because of the highly popular game PUBG.

Last month, the Gujarat government issued a circular asking district authorities to ensure a ban on the online multiplayer game. The state primary education department's circular was issued after a recommendation by the Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

An eleven-year-old boy was recently in the news as he had written a letter to Maharashtra state government asking them to ban PUBG. In the letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said that this is an "appeal to forthwith ban online game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds [PUBG] as it promotes immoral conduct such as violence, murder, aggression, looting, gaming addiction and cyber bullying". The boy further wrote in the letter, "I will be compelled to seek appropriate legal [civil and criminal] proceeding as per law; naturally at your cost and consequences" if the game is not banned.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aware of the game. While answering a number of questions during discussions with students and parents as part of Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0, PM Modi answered a question asked by a concerned mother with, "PUBG wala hai kya?"

Just a couple of days back we heard of an 18-year-old boy allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself. The reason given for the boy’s extreme step was that he had an argument with his family who denied a new mobile phone for playing PUBG Mobile. According to the police, the teenager demanded a high-end smartphone which was priced around Rs 37,000 to play the battle royale game. The boy’s family refused to pay for his demand and said that he will not be given a mobile phone more than Rs 20,000. Upset that his demand was not met, the teenager took a rope and committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his residence.