简体中文
**By APD Writer Rishika Chauhan
**
NEW DELHI, September 9 (APD) -- The Indian government recently ordered internet majors like Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo to delete all links to the notorious online game, Blue Whale.
“Instances of children committing suicide while playing Blue Whale Challenge have been reported in India…You are hereby requested to ensure that any such link of this deadly game in its own name or similar game is immediately removed from your platform,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology stated in a letter.
According to reports, the infamous online game, Blue Whale prods the players, mostly teenagers to commit suicide.
It has driven more than ten teenagers to commit suicide in India, while many have been rescued before they could take the same step.
To control the menace, phone helplines have been shared by governmental and non-governmental agencies, including hospitals to help teenagers who cannot stop playing the game or inform about others who are playing the game.
Talking about a teenager who called the helpline, Dr Samir Parikh, of Fortis Hospital said, “This Delhi student was already playing the game and was petrified that her parents would be harmed if she stopped playing.”
He further elaborated, “For children, we ensure that somehow parents get involved as knowing that their parents are around helps them feel secure emotionally. We also received calls from parents who wanted help in getting their child off cellphones.”
So far, more than 130 suicides have been reported from across the world, particularly from Russia and the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The 50-day challenge game is believed to have originated in Russia, and it asks participants to perform dangerous tasks with the last step being of committing suicide themselves.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
