‘Online world a teen’s primary emotional coping tool’: After 3 sisters die by suicide in Ghaziabad, an expert’s advice to parents

Three sisters jumped to death from the 9th floor, with police suspecting they were excessively immersed in the virtual world. The Indian Express speaks to a child psychologist who shares a checklist to help parents identify warning signs in their kids.

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 5, 2026 07:56 AM IST

'Online world a teen's primary emotional coping tool': After 3 sisters die by suicide in Ghaziabad, an expert's advice to parents

The apartment building in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad from where the three sisters jumped. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)

Three sisters aged 12, 14 and 16 died after jumping from the ninth floor of their residential building in Ghaziabad on Wednesday, in what police suspect to be a case linked to excessive immersion in the online world.

The girls, it appears, were huge fans of Korean culture. They reportedly stopped going to school about a year ago, and spent a lot of time on their mobile phones. Police sources said their father had imposed restrictions on their use of phones a few days ago.

With children increasingly becoming fully immersed in a virtual world that often offers an alternate reality they can escape into, The Indian Express speaks to Dr Bhavna Barmi, senior clinical and child psychologist and founder of Happiness Studio, on red flags parents must watch out for.

ALSO READ | I saw the sisters fall… two of them, hugging each other, and the third followed: Ghaziabad society resident tells his horrifying story

Can intense dependence on the virtual world affect an adolescent’s emotional regulation?

In cases like the Ghaziabad tragedy, where excessive online immersion appears to have intersected with family conflict, the risks become very visible.

Many teenagers use virtual spaces as a way to escape difficult emotions like anger, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, even academic pressure. Over time, instead of learning healthy ways to regulate these feelings, they rely almost entirely on the online environment. This leads to poor emotional control: irritability, mood swings, sudden outbursts, or emotional numbness.

These platforms offer repeated dopamine hits, feelings of achievement, validation, and reward. Crucially, the part of the brain responsible for judgement and impulse control, the prefrontal cortex, is still developing in teenagers.

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Heavy immersion in virtual environments can further weaken restraint, making quick, poorly thought-out decisions more likely, especially during moments of distress.

Constant virtual rewards can also blur the line between the online world and reality, making real-life problems feel overwhelming and harder to tolerate.

ALSO READ | Economic Survey red flags digital addiction as hurting teen mental health — Here’s what it recommends to fix it

How important are signs like avoiding school or withdrawing from daily routines for spotting mental health problems?

These changes are extremely significant and should never be dismissed. When adolescents start avoiding school or withdrawing from daily routines, it’s often a sign of deeper emotional distress, not laziness or defiance.

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What we clinically call ‘school refusal’ is commonly linked to anxiety, depression, panic, or a sense of being overwhelmed. Many children actually want to attend school but feel psychologically unable to cope.

When excessive engagement with the online or virtual world enters the picture, it often replaces school, friendships, and structure because it offers escape and instant reward.

Once that cycle begins, the problem worsens… If left untreated, this pattern can have long-term consequences.

What happens when adolescents face repeated conflicts at home over screen use or online engagement?

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It creates a vicious psychological cycle. For many adolescents, the online world is no longer just entertainment; it has become their primary emotional coping tool. When parents restrict access, the child experiences it as losing their main source of comfort, control, and validation.

Over time, constant arguments erode trust. Home starts to feel like a space of criticism rather than safety. Adolescents may feel misunderstood, powerless, or rejected. Their self-worth takes a hit, and emotional sensitivity increases. As a result, even small disagreements can trigger disproportionate reactions.

Have you seen more such cases in recent years?

Yes, particularly after the pandemic. Screen exposure increased dramatically while real-world social interaction declined. This combination has made many adolescents more vulnerable to emotional over-attachment to online platforms and virtual identities

Can Korean pop culture amplify the influence of the online world on children?

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I often see how Korean pop culture — including K-pop, K-dramas — and beauty trends deeply attracts children and adolescents, especially through online platforms.

These are years when young minds are forming identity, seeking belonging, and managing intense emotions. This cultural wave feels immersive because it offers emotional connection and escapism.

There are also parasocial relationships. Fans form one-sided emotional bonds with idols who seem perfect yet relatable. For many children, these idols feel like a source of comfort similar to a close friend, but without real-life risks.

The challenge is that these worlds also promote highly idealised beauty and lifestyle standards, which can increase pressure.

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What should parents do differently when they notice excessive attachment to the online world?

The most important shift parents can make is from control to connection. Abrupt bans, yelling, or confiscating devices often backfire and push children deeper into the online world as a form of escape.

Parents should begin with curiosity and empathy, asking what the child enjoys online and how it makes them feel. Limits are necessary, but they work best when set collaboratively, during calm moments, not conflicts.

Parents also need to remember that excessive online immersion is often a symptom of emotional distress, not the root cause.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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