Online game addiction has led to the suicide of a 14-year-old boy in India. The teen ended his life by jumping into a pond after he lost a lot of money in online games.

The boy, identified as S Akash, went missing from his home in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday evening. His parents filed a police complaint after the teenager did not return home. Police launched a search for the boy. They found his footwear and bicycle near a pond Wednesday, local daily Mathrubhumi reported.

Akash's body was later fished out of the pond by divers.

It is believed that Akash's father had scolded him for spending money on mobile games. The boy got scared after he lost a lot of money in the games and was afraid that his father would yell at him. He decided to take the extreme step because of this, police officers told the New Indian Express. The boy was reportedly addicted to multiplayer battle games like Garena Free Fire.

The body of the victim was sent to a local hospital for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

A month ago, a 13-year-old boy killed himself after his parents stopped him from playing games on his mobile phone. The incident took place in the eastern state of Odisha. His parents got him the phone to attend online classes after schools in the country closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he became addicted to online games and was not paying attention to his classes.

When his parents came to know about it, they snatched the mobile phone from him. The boy later locked himself up inside a room and killed himself by hanging from the ceiling fan.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.

body
Representation. Pixabay
RELATED STORIES
Coronavirus Addiction