Parents call for ban on PUBG in UAE

dubai — UAE parents are calling for a ban on the online game PUBG as it is deemed a “bad influence on youth” due to its “violent content and addictive nature”.

PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), a multiplayer survival battle game developed by a South Korean firm, has already been banned in cities across Gujarat, India. Nearly 10 students were arrested for playing the game even after the ban.

Recently, a father in India called for a nationwide ban on the game as he claimed that his teen son committed suicide when he was asked not to play the game. In the Philippines, the mayor of the Biliran Island has warned that government employees will be fired if they’re caught playing the game.

The game has become ‘very accessible’ since it was released in 2017, be it on consoles, PCs or smartphones.

A parent in Dubai, Gulnaz Arif Moula, told Khaleej Times: “PUBG should surely be banned as it has a negative effect on the children’s mind. It makes them very aggressive. Kids have taken this game so seriously that nothing else seems to matter to them — not even studying. They care only about winning in this game.”

Another parent, Mueena Farooq Rumane, said: “I strongly feel PUBG should be banned. Games like PUBG and Fortnite are destructive games and these have a very bad psychological effect not just on kids, but adults as well. It’s an addiction just like drugs, smoking and drinking. It plays with the mind and they face strong behavioural changes.

“With the recent New Zealand mosque attack, it didn’t surprise me when I read the response of the attacker and how games like Spyro Dragon and Fortnite trained him to be a killer.”

Meanwhile, another parent, Bibi Usaima, said her children spend majority of their time playing PUBG.

“They can no longer concentrate on schoolwork. They’re fully occupied with these addictive games and they are always on their laptops or iPads — no more outdoor activities,” she said.

“It’s not suitable for kids below 10 years old. My seven-year-old boy plays with 18-year-old guys. It’s getting on my nerves, my kids have become aggressive and whenever I tell to stop, they start arguing. I want it to be banned all over and forever.”

Kids have taken this game so seriously that nothing else matters — not even studying. They care only about winning in this game.”

Gulnaz Arif Moula,

Bibi Usaima,

mother

It’s getting on my nerves, my kids have become aggressive and whenever I tell to stop, they start arguing. I want it to be banned forever.”

mother