Schools in Bengaluru have begun to warn parents against children excessively playing the online game Player Unknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) after cases of addiction came to light.

Shocked by the number of cases that are being referred to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, several schools have asked parents to keep a tab on the number of hours their child spends playing the game.

The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Private Schools Karnataka (KAMS) will also issue advisory to parents asking them to restrict the number of hours students spend on the game.

“We will ask our member schools to write to parents about this. We have, in the past, had discussions with the education department on imposing restricts on the number of hours a child spends playing such games. We want the police to also play an active role and take precautions to ensure measures are put in place to ensure children do not play such games,” KAMS stated.

The game involves players fighting each other with weapons and the one who survives at the end is the winner. What begins as a game lasting about 30 minutes, keeps a player hooked on for several hours, leading to addiction, experts warn.

Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma from the SHUT Clinic, Nimhans, said that five out of eight cases that are referred to them is related to PUBG addiction.

“They are between the 16 to 20 age group. When we speak to them they explain that better graphics and interface is a reason they chose this game over the others,” Dr Sharma said.

These students said that they have been playing the game for 10-12 hours. “This leads to disturbance in the morning schedule, has an impact on food habits, academic life is affected and withdrawal leads to aggression,” Dr Sharma said, while adding that whether PUBG as a game was leading to aggression is yet to be ascertained.

“Schools should issue advisory to students about positive lifestyle. They must be cautioned against excessive gaming. Parents should check if kids are using it for too long,” Dr Sharma added.

Meanwhile, Dr Bhujang Shetty, chairman, Narayana Nethralaya, said, “Staring into any electronic gadget for too long leaves children with a high risk of myopia.

It could also cause stress to the eye. Hence there is a need to curb it,” Dr Shetty warned.