Today morning, terror and grief descended in a residential community in Loni’s Bharat City where three minor sisters jumped from the balcony of their ninth-floor apartment, apparently performing a collective suicide. The incident, which was around 2:15 AM, has underscored the serious consequences of unfettered online gaming addiction by children who want to check the game.
The Incident. According to the Ghaziabad Police, the three sisters-identified as Nishika (16), Prachi (14), and Pakhi (12)-entered the prayer room of their flat with their parents asleep. They climbed up the ledge of the balcony using a plastic chair and jumped one after the other. The girls were found lying in a pool of blood when security guards and residents arrived in a tangle on the balcony while there was a loud thud. They were rushed to nearby Loni hospital but were pronounced dead upon arrival.
Addiction to "Korean Love Game.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Atul Kumar Singh said that initial probes would indicate a "severe addiction" toward an online, task-oriented Korean interactive video game. They took up addiction during the pandemic, according to family rumors. They lost all their activities that followed it, after which they became increasingly withdrawn and irregular in school education.
Disconnection
Family members noted that the three sisters were inseparable. They performed every task--from eating and sleeping--together in life to walking and swimming at the beach. They appeared to be inseparable over the weekend from each other, even online--they reportedly spent hours playing a "task-based" game on their computer screen that our local authorities are now turning a critical eye to.
Parental Friction
The tragedy allegedly came after a long period of extreme family tension in the household with their parents recently confiscating their phones and severely criticizing their extended screen time. Notes Left Behind. Handwritten notes and a diary were recovered from the room by the police. The notes included apologies to their parents (“Mummy, Papa, Sorry”) as well as weeping caricatures of them. One of his investigators said that the girls seemed to be living in the fantasy of the game, with entries that suggested they were seeing themselves as "Korean princesses" rather than Indian students.
Expert Warning
Psychologists caution that “task-based” games can exploit psychological triggers to instill a feeling of urgency or consequence, and this can be especially dangerous for minors. As the Ghaziabad Police take possession of the mobile devices from the deceased for forensic analysis, they will conduct an investigation as to identify the platform and whether any external "taskmaster" played a role in inciting the extreme step. Helpline: If you or your friends experience mental illness, suicidal thoughts or similar issues, send a call to the national helpline Kiran (1800-599-0019) or local support groups.
