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41 minors died by suicide in 4 years after internet abuse, says Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan
Answering an unstarred question, Vijayan told the assembly last week that the suicides were reported from 2021 until September 9 this year.
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30 minors trapped in sexual exploitation and drug abuse due to mobile and internet abuse have been tracked down during the period. (File)
As many as 41 minors in Kerala have died by suicide in the last four years in connection with issues stemming from mobile and internet abuse, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Answering an unstarred question, Vijayan told the assembly last week that the suicides were reported from 2021 until September 9 this year. This figure was 24 from 2021 to May 2024, which shows the sudden increase in the number of minors taking their own lives after getting trapped in the digital world, the CM said.
Besides this, 30 minors trapped in sexual exploitation and drug abuse due to mobile and internet abuse have been tracked down during the period.
Kerala has six digital de-addiction centres, where 275 minors are currently undergoing treatment, the CM said. Aimed at addressing behavioural changes due to mobile and internet addiction, these centres in various police districts have so far treated 1,189 minors for digital addiction. Eight more centres are also planned in this fiscal.
The programme is also aimed at weaning away minors from addiction to online games, social media, fake shopping sites and porn sites, the chief minister said.
Although digital-deaddiction programmes have been around for some time in the state, the figures shows that cases suicide of minors have gone up in the recent period. Significantly, minors that get trapped in sexual exploitation and drug cases are treated as children in conflict with law.
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