KOZHIKODE: Psychiatrist Dr P.N. Sureshkumar of KMCT Medical College here has urged the government and media to restrain from giving much publicity to the Blue Whale Challenge online games as it would draw more vulnerable students and youngsters into them. "The other day a parent of a girl student who is under treatment for online addiction told me that she had started threatening to commit suicide playing Blue Whale," he said. "Over publicity may help keep parents alert but would attract more vulnerable to the game."

According to him, such incidents of mental disorder due to overexposure to the internet have been on the rise for the last three years. “Elite institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have started exclusive outpatient wings to attend students and youth with cyber addiction,” he said. Recently a parent sought Dr Kumar’s assistance as his son turned violent when he refused to give him the smartphone. He destroyed the TV and warned on destroying more when the parent came for psychiatric intervention.

Dr Kumar warned parents against providing round the clock accessibility for children to the internet and smartphones. The online addiction catches fast the vulnerable class including those with an inferiority complex, zero tolerance, lack of self-confidence, social phobia and solitary attitude. Psychiatrists have developed an ‘Internet Addiction Treatment Protocol as the number of cases is increasing, he pointed out. He believes an internet ban would also result in all the withdrawal symptoms as in the case of other alcohol-drug addictions like nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite.