13-Year-Old Ends Life Over Online Gaming Addiction
A tragic case of online gaming addiction has surfaced in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, where a 13-year-old boy died by suicide after reportedly exhausting his father’s savings of ₹14 lakh on online games. The incident highlights the growing mental health crisis linked to digital gaming among adolescents.
How the Incident Unfolded
According to police reports, the Class 6 student had gradually drained his father’s account, where nearly ₹13 lakh had been deposited after selling a plot of land. The boy’s father, who works as a painter, discovered the missing funds during a routine visit to his bank and immediately filed a complaint with the branch manager.
When he returned home and informed the family about the missing money, the child panicked. He went to his room on the pretext of studying. Moments later, his younger sister found him hanging. Despite the family’s efforts to rush him to a nearby community health centre, doctors declared him dead on arrival. The body has since been sent for post-mortem examination.
Online Gaming Addiction
This is not an isolated tragedy. Just weeks earlier, another teenager from Lucknow, an 18-year-old, also died by suicide after struggling with compulsive gaming. In his suicide note, he admitted his fear that gambling features in online gaming could bring severe financial distress to his family, despite his attempts to focus on academics.
Such cases underscore how online gaming addiction is not merely a recreational issue but a serious public health concern, often linked with financial losses, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness among young users.
Government Action Against Money-Based Gaming
In response to the rising toll, Parliament recently passed a law banning all forms of online money-based games, including those offering cash rewards or virtual currencies that can be converted into real money. Under the legislation:
- Offering such platforms can result in up to three years of imprisonment and fines reaching ₹1 crore.
- Advertising these games may also attract penalties, including two years in jail and fines up to ₹50 lakh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while welcoming the law, stressed that many online games were harming students and that protecting the youth’s future must remain a national priority.
Conclusion
Experts point out that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to online gaming addiction, as their developing brains are more sensitive to instant rewards and peer influence. Once the habit escalates, it can cause emotional distress, financial strain, and in extreme cases, tragic outcomes such as suicide.
This incident serves as a wake-up call for families, educators, and policymakers to prioritise digital safety education, early counselling, and stricter monitoring of online platforms that target children.
Source: Inputs from various media Sources
I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.
- Health News and Updates,People Forum
- 17 September 2025
- 13:00
