The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court launched a suo motu Public Interest Litigation to regulate such games after receiving grave concerns about the negative effects of mobile video game addiction and its repercussions on the children and young of the nation. Social media outlets as well as the governments of India and Tamil Nadu were asked for their opinions.
Justices Mahadevan and Sathya Narayana Prasad spoke on how some video games and mobile applications were widely used despite the restrictions placed on them (various apps and games of Chinese-origin). The judges specifically mentioned ‘PUBG’ and ‘GarenaFreeFire,’ saying that it was leading to addiction and had a negative influence on children’s health. They also mentioned how gaming addiction caused children to fight with their relatives and even commit suicide.
The PIL also made reference to limiting YouTube channels and social media posts that provided guides for getting around limitations and downloading illegal games. The usage of VPN services, or virtual private network, was suggested as needing regulation.
A need to prevent students from accessing and playing games that the government has outlawed was also introduced, requiring educational institutions to run awareness campaigns. The advancement of technology, it was further said, cannot be stopped, but youngsters must utilise it sensibly and wisely. It was also underlined how important it is for parents to guide their kids and keep an eye on what they do on their computers and phones.
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