Psychologists outline how to dissuade young people from falling prey to dangerous challenges on the Internet
JAY JOSHI
The Internet is not just one world. It is in fact a confluence of different world-happy, sad, cute, as well as dangerous. And the dangerous world is a constant attraction for many youth and teenagers across the world, owing to the rise of phenomenons such as Kiki challenge, Momo challenge, the Dragon Breath challenge, or the notorious Tide Pod challenge or Blue Whale phenomenon. Now, everyone can see the danger, and in most cases, the threat to life that these challenges pose, but that does not stop young people from engaging in these fads. Why do they not realise what they are getting into? Or if they do, why do they still do it?
“There are a number of reasons as to why they do it.” says Dr Abhijit Nadkarni, psychologist and director of addiction research centre at Sangath, Porvorim. “Firstly, lots of young people live more in digital than the real world. That is to say, a lot of their socialising happens in the digital realm; their friend circles are primarily from the digital world, so they have to live up to certain things that happen in that world. So, there is a combination of mob-mentality and peer pressure here.”
“Secondly, the brains of young people are hardwired to seek excitement. Certain things give you a kick or a high because they are dangerous. If the weren’t dangerous, they wouldn’t be exciting. Risky behaviours are hardwired in a young brain. This kick can also be had from positive things such as adventure sports. Some young people choose positive challenges while others head for the negative ones.” says Dr Nadkarni.
Examining another aspect of the teenage behaviour, Panaji based psychologist and counsellor Dr Shambhavi Alve lays out similar reasons. “This is an age when one has a lot of questions, and aspects of personality such as identity are still developing. Teenagers want to explore and experiment with different things, but because of nuclear families, sometimes there is lack of communication, and the teens find a safe zone on the Internet to communicate and experiment. Secondly, in this age, they are prone to loneliness and depression, and value a sense of achievement. Thus, when they see words such as challenge, they are driven to prove themselves and gain that sense of achievement”
Creating awareness among teenagers and the youth about such phenomena on the Internet is the key, say psychologists. “At the end of the day, all of it boils down to educating the youth about potential risks in such challenges.” says Nadkarni. “In order to do that, we must have an honest conversation with them about this. You cannot just tell them not to do this. That could be counterproductive. Instead, you have to convince them of the same by laying out the reasons. The way you convey the message is very important.”These measures will help deal with the problem on individual level, while steps such as making stringent laws will aid in combating the issue on social level, says Dr Nadkarni.
On the other hand, Dr Alve notes that today’s kids spend most of their time at school, and school counselors could play an important role in creating awareness about dangerous phenomena on the Internet. “Once they are made aware of the dangers, they will have a different, more enlightened perspective of looking at it.” Apart from sensitizing the kids themselves, more could be achieved by training teenagers to spot the symptoms of loneliness and addiction being exhibited by their peers around them, says Dr Alve. “Today’s kids are becoming physically and mentally mature at an age earlier than before, and giving them tasks that entail responsibility such as caring for younger sibling helps them gain a sense of achievement.” says the psychologist.
