Recently, 10

students

were arrested in Rajkot, after they were caught playing

(

) on mobile after it was banned there. The game was banned citing reasons that it was ‘harmful’ and ‘addictive’. The

drew ire and indignation from the

and student community and it saw a slew of reactions on

as well.

Back in Mumbai too, experts are not in favour of the ban. Clinical

and psychotherapist, Dr Varkha Chulani, has a question. “Is everything going to be monitored now, from what we eat, to what we wear and what we play. I think it’s absurd to another level. What parents and other people are not realising is that the kids who are playing it are a getting a ‘high’ of a different. Not in terms of a high you get from an

addiction

of

, but a high of feeling good, of being recognised and wanted, a high of skill sets being noticed, etc. From that high, they keep going back to the game and fortunately or unfortunately, the game has done for them what parents have not been able to do. A feeling of acceptance and of being wanted, of being somebody. So, all their success is coming from a game, who would not want to be recognised for what they are doing or achieving?”

She adds, “The entire philosophy around it is that kids are missing the psychological satisfaction that is being derived from this game. We are concentrating on the game rather instead of concentrating on the mindset of what it is doing for them. It’s making kids feel accepted, wanted and powerful. It’s a feel-good factor. And we are forgetting that there is nothing that the child is feeling good about in his house, so he’s obviously going to run away to the game. Give children something else to feel good about, so they don’t need to play.”

Psychiatrist and counselor, Dr Pavan Sonar adds, "Arrest is not a good idea. Instead, those kids who are addicted to it, can see a counselor. Maybe the police want to set an example. That said, taking the game away completely should not be done, let's make kids aware of consequences, instead."