If you own a smartphone and you live in India there is absolutely no doubt that you have heard about PUBG. The game was launched back in 2018 and has seen exponential growth in the player base ever since launch. The game boasts a 10 million strong playerbase and it definitely had a significant impact over the gaming scene in India. And like all popular things, this comes under the scanner too. As Gadgets 360 reports (via Pristine Kashmir), the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has asked for a ban on the game claiming that the game is responsible for the poor performance of students in their X and XII board exams.
“The game should have been banned immediately after the poor performance of 12th and 10th class results but still we haven’t seen any action. The addiction to this game has become more concerning than addiction to drugs as we get to see youngsters 24 hours on the mobile phones and playing the game and doing nothing. We request the governor administration to immediately ban the game.”, Deputy Chairman Raqif Makhdoomi added in a report on Pristine Kashmir.
Gadgets 360 reached out to Tencent for a comment on the matter, and “the company has not responded to multiple requests via email and phone”. PUBG Mobile’s popularity has been turning out to be detrimental for the game in India. Earlier, there were two similar instances where the game was getting banned. While one of them turned out to be fake, the other one, wherein the ban was issued by Vellore Institute of Technology for its students, is still in place.
Our Take On This
While PUBG is pretty addicting for some, there are ample alternative measures for parents to impose restrictions on their kids while playing the game. On top of that, PUBG is not the only reason why students are hooked up to their smartphones all day long. Even if PUBG is banned, they’ll most likely end up being on social media or another game for instance. Keeping that in mind, more effective and long-term measures should be thought of instead of banning a game which is enjoyed by many.