PAKISTAN Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has imposed a ban on a popular video game. The game popularly known as PUBG, which is short for Player’s Unknown Battle Grounds, has caught the imagination of youngsters all over the world. It is a harmless preoccupation that keeps youth engaged and out of trouble.

Instead of banning a free and harmless video game that even a child with the cheapest phone can play during these uncertain days of the coronavirus pandemic, PTA authorities should act to put a stop to the other ghastly games being played out in cyber space and bringing harm to those who are caught up in these dark web spaces.

It seems the PTA has been misinformed that PUBG causes depression, violence, anger and is a waste of time. I being a teenager, who is stuck at home because of the lockdown, would like to know how exactly banning a game is going to help deal with our depression.

The authorities have taken away a harmless past time which was keeping youth preoccupied. At 18 years old I am under a lot of stress about what the future has in store for me. How is a ban on a game that I play with my friends supposed to keep me safe? The PTA should instead bring down fake pages, bullies and cyber crimes. These are the issues that are the root cause of depression among teenagers. I urge the PTA to take notice and ban those games.

Had the government taken strict measures from the start there wouldn’t have been a need to ban anything in the first place. If they had ensured that there were enough jobs, fresh graduates wouldn’t have to turn to gaming or use YouTube as a source of income. More importantly, if our country had a healthy atmosphere, teenagers would never be influenced by a game.

Shafeen Ahmad
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2020