After India, UAE Parents Are Also Demanding A Ban On PUBG Mobile

A recent case of a 10th-grade student from Telangana committing suicide after he was scolded by his parents for spending too much time on PUBG Mobile has added more fuels to the heated topic that is the banning of the game in India. Now, parents in the UAE are also calling for this popular battle royale to be banned as they think it is a "bad influence on youth".

A parent in Dubai, Gulnaz Arif Moula, told Khaleej Times: “PUBG should certainly be banned because it negatively affects the minds of children, which makes them very aggressive… Kids took this game so seriously another important thing – not even studying – they only have the goal to win in this game."

"I strongly believe that PUBG should be banned,” Another parent, Mueena Farooq Rumane, said, "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, Bibi Usaima complains that her children spend too much time on PUBG to the point where, as she said, “they cannot concentrate on schoolwork anymore. They are fully engaged in these addictive games and are always on their laptops or iPads – no more outdoor activities."

"It's not suitable for children under the age of 10. My seven-year-old boy plays with 18-year-old boys. It gets on my nerves, my children have become aggressive, and every time I quit, they begin to quarrel. I want it to be banned everywhere and forever.”

On the other hand, fans of the game have also spoken up to rebut these opinions from concerned parents. Dennis Nolan Menezes, admin of the PUBG UAE Community Facebook page, claims that "There are multiple studies which show that kids have a good enough understanding of the difference between games and reality.”

According to him, cases of kids experiencing mental instability related to violence games are just a minuscule number, and if people are relying on these cases as examples to rally against PUBG Mobile, then other violent products such as movies should also be banned.

Menezes also believes that these games also have certain benefits as well, as they "help kids vent out little frustrations they may be having arising from daily life, thus calming them down. It helps them relax.”

“Banning does nothing at all in reducing exposure. Kids and everyone else always find ways to circumvent bans - it's useless,” he added, "instead, it would be better to help them understand their feelings and show them ways to voice it out or get to terms with themselves.”