In the recent past there is a new trend of playing online games mostly designed to attract and engage youths to violent behaviours.
Experts, against exposing children to such addictive games, highly recommend enacting laws to prevent playing such online games.
The online games are considered very harmful for the society and banning its destructive effect by the Nepalese government in its latest move is a clear reflection of how the games can seriously damage our young generation.
Not only in Nepal but the Gujrat government in India also banned the games now waiting for a high court decision on a writ petition. Taking into account of its negative impact in the society, many countries are also considering following similar action of banning the games through legal procedures.
Popularly known as - ‘PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG)’, and ‘Garena Free Fire’, both are online multiplayer games, which already became globally popular, also exposes a large number of adolescents in Bangladesh.
Experts said that these games often psychologically affect the youths causing children to become aggressive day by day and sometimes inspire the youths into reckless behavior.
When contacted for his comments, Subrata Roy Maitra, Vice-Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) told Bangladesh Post, “We have not received any instruction from any government authority to ban or even control such online games.”
Ifrat Jahan, Assistant Director (Psychology) of Student Counseling and Guidance Center of Jahangirnagar University told Bangladesh Post, “Such kind of games apparently lead participating players to become gradually addicted. Exposure to such games eventually develops violent behaviour which often may reflect into real life behaviour, like supremacy and tendency to become powerful.”
On May 16 last, a group of 10 to 12 youths attacked a boy called Joy Halder aged 17, an SSC candidate of upcoming examination, and randomly beat him, leaving him critically injured, who later died.
Uzzal Halder, Elder brother of the deceased later disclosed to Bangladesh Post that a conflict was going on between Joy and the accused youth group centering an altercation during playing the most controversial game ‘Garena Free Fire’, which finally lead to the attack and the murder.
Similarly, it is reported that at least five murder incidents of youths took place in Savar recently all believed to be linked to similar games incidents where reckless behavior were reported.
“Lack of proper moral education, mutual respect, and family supervision are mainly responsible such unsocial behavior,” Ifrat Jahan said, suggesting that government should consider creating more playgrounds for children in every community, where they can play, and concentrate more on physical activities rather than confining themselves in mobile-based or laptop-based online games.”
Regarding teenage crimes, Salahuddin Khan Noyeem, General Secretary of Savar Nagorik Committee told Bangladesh Post, “There should be more parenting when thses youths are at home. Instead of allowing the youths to play online games parents should advice on fining alternative that does not lead to reckless behaviour.”
He also explained that in the pandemic youth who wish to spend some quality time often get addicted to such games which may also influence in behaviours not accepted in our society like picking up group fights or teasing girls to prove supremacy.
Notably, ‘PUBG’ basically developed and published by PUBG Corporation, a subsidiary of South Korean video game company ‘Bluehole’. On the other hand, ‘Free Fire’ is a battle game, developed by 111 Dots Studio, and published by Singaporean game developer company Garena.
Among them, PUBG is a player versus player shooter game in which up to one hundred players fight in a battle royale, a type of large-scale last man standing deathmatch, where players fight to remain the last alive, and the ‘Free Fire’ almost the same.