A 14-year-old boy allegedly committed suicide after his mother scolded him for playing games on his mobile phone, asking him to study instead. This incident, recently reported in mid-day, points to a larger trend of kids adopting extreme measures when they are upbraided or censured over the most trivial issues.

Police officials from Nalasopara (E) said the 14-year-old, Aniket Singh, was a Std IX student. He had been playing games and loud music, and watching movies on his mobile phone, and had reportedly ignored his mother’s pleas to put away the phone. After she took the phone away, he went to the bathroom and hanged himself with a string.