NEW DEHI: Indian police said on Thursday an investigation had been launched into the suspected suicide of three young sisters over concerns that they were heavily “influenced” by games and movies online that they were later denied access to.
Local media reported the sisters, aged 12, 14 and 16 had jumped from their home on Wednesday in the city of Ghaziabad on the outskirts of the country’s capital.
Concern among experts and regulators has grown in recent years that too much screen time and addictive algorithms are harming child development, sparking authorities, including in India, to push for social media bans for children and teens.
“(An) investigation is underway based on the suicide note and their phones,” Nimish Patil, a senior police official, told AFP on Thursday.
Police in India routinely investigate the factors leading up to suspected suicides.
The sisters had been “denied access” to K-Pop music and Korean games and movies that they had previously played and watched online.
“They were influenced by Korean culture: K-pop music, games and movies,” Patil said.
He added that the family also appeared to be under financial distress.
Their father had recently taken away their devices and barred them from watching Korean dramas and playing online games, the Indian Express newspaper reported. AFP could not immediately reach family members for comment.
Korean culture has surged in popularity, especially among young people, in India over the past decades, beginning with rapper Psy’s 2012 hit “Gangnam Style” and expanding through K-Pop and streaming platforms packed with Korean dramas.
The case has sparked debate in India with intense media coverage highlighting concerns about young people’s skyrocketing online exposure deepening mental health vulnerabilities.
Two Indian states recently said they were preparing the ground for banning children from using social media.
Internationally, governments have been exploring social media restrictions for children and teenageers, led by Australia, which banned the networks for under-16s in December.
French lawmakers in the country’s lower house last month passed a bill that if confirmed by its Senate will ban social media use by under-15s and bar mobile phones from high schools.
