Seven reasons why police want PUBG banned

The Maharashtra police has prepared an exhaustive list of what exactly the combat game PUBG that apparently has millions of users worldwide is doing to your child who could most likely be addicted to it The list is part of a report recently prepared by the state cyber unit based on a monthlong research on how this battle game is taking a toll on Mumbaikars especially school and collegegoing studentsIn early April the Bombay High Court had directed the Union government to look into the PUBG Mobile game and take action accordingly after a PIL was filed against it by 11yearold Mumbai resident Ahad Nizam through his mother The PIL said PUBG Mobile promotes violence aggression and cyberbullyingThe state cyber unit recently prepared a report on the game following HCs directive which was routed to them through the home ministry The report which will soon be produced before the court has given seven reasons why PUBG should be banned It has said that the game is extremely violent leads to a gaming addiction can make one less socially active promotes bad physical health affects mental health disrupts sleep patterns and leaves one with no time to do anything elseAlso ReadWife files for divorce after man stops her from playing PUBGThe report states that the issue is not with the content of PUBG which is similar to other video games but the extreme addiction being developed by its players Representational ImageGetty ImagesAccessible and addictiveOfficials have claimed in the report that any attempt to ban this game will only generate curiosity among the people and add to its popularity It further states the issue is not with the content of PUBG which is similar to other video games but the extreme addiction being developed by its players The factors contributing to the addictiveness of the game are it launching at a time when smartphones are ubiquitous and data packs have become affordable as well as the easy accessibility of the game whose mobile version is also available for freePrior to this PUBG Mobile has faced trouble in Gujarat where it had been banned in cities like Rajkot Ahmedabad and Himmatnagar The ban has been lifted The Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu has banned the game while Goas minister of information technology is seeking a ban on itCommenting on the game Brijesh Singh IG state cyber cell said There should be age and maturity appropriate content on any entertainment platform However I am not opposing a platform like PUBGAlso ReadViral video Groom plays PUBG at wedding as clueless bride staresWhat is PUBGPUBG which stands for PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds is an online multiplayer game developed and published by PUBG Corporation a subsidiary of South Korean video game company Bluehole In the game up to one hundred players parachute onto an island and scavenge for weapons and equipment to kill others while avoiding getting killed themselves The available safe area of the games map decreases in size over time directing surviving players into tighter areas to force encounters The last player or team standing wins the roundDoctor saysDr Alpes Panchal consultant psychiatrist and deaddiction specialist said Any computer simulated game which gives us rewards leads to an increase in a chemical called dopamine in the brain which is the pleasure hormone This dopamine increase makes us seek more rewards This is the cycle of addiction And the same cycle gets activated in substance addiction internet addiction gaming addiction food or any other kind of addiction Panchal says children getting easily hooked to the reward system dopamine cycle is what is making PUBG dangerous However he says My opinion is against any sort of ban because it curtails freedom of expression There are ways and means to tackle addictive thingsGaming experts opineTanuj Sehgal who produces games at a gaming company said We make games for everyone to enjoy Letting oneself get addicted to a game is a personal choiceGames are designed to give players experiences they may never have What we make is purely for entertainment and enjoyment Game makers cannot change the way an individual thinksNirav Sanghvi game developer at Appstack Digital said The psyche of the player is the most important thing while developing such games The games are that aggressive to go with their themes The idea is to keep players engaged with the gaming environment keep them from leaving the platform and provide incentives to keep playingAlso ReadTwo Maharashtra youth playing PUBG mowed down by train in HingoliCant blame PUBGRohan Shetty HRAverage time of a single PUBG game is 20 minutes I invest four hours on weekends playing this game The thing I love about it is making strategies and defeating othersRahul RujhwanientrepreneurI play this game on weekends with my friendsI have also seen this game helping people cut down on their smoking habit as they are completely engrossed in the game There are a lot of people who also are earning by entering tournaments for the game conducted internationally Few others earn by playing live on YouTubeNikhil NambiarentrepreneurIf you talk about children playing this game it is addictive and can cause a distraction for their studies But you cant blame the game for it Parents need to encourage their children to go out and play If not PUBG your child might get addicted to some other game until they have a mobile phoneShalini Singhoperations head at MNCI play the game regularly during office breaks or at home and with my friends Weve even made a WhatsApp group to play it together My parents get annoyed when Im on the phone but it does not matter now because playing the game gives me a kickCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates