Ghaziabad Tragedy Becomes a Wake-Up Call for Kashmir Families in the Digital Age
By: Javid Amin | 06 February 2026
A Tragedy Far Away, a Fear Close to Home
The deaths of three sisters in Ghaziabad — aged 14, 17, and 19 — by suicide have shaken the nation. But in Kashmir, hundreds of kilometres away, the tragedy has struck an especially deep chord.
For many Kashmiri parents, the case has not been viewed as a distant, urban anomaly. Instead, it has felt uncomfortably familiar — a mirror held up to anxieties already brewing inside their own homes.
“If something like this can happen in Ghaziabad,” said a father of two teenagers in Srinagar, “then it can happen here too. The internet doesn’t stop at geography.”
The tragedy has become a wake-up call, forcing families in Kashmir to confront a growing but often unspoken fear: Are our children living more in online worlds than in the real one?
The Ghaziabad Case: What We Know
According to police investigations and family accounts, the three sisters were:
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Deeply immersed in a Korean online role-playing game
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Spending long hours online, often late into the night
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Emotionally invested in digital characters and narratives
Investigators also noted:
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High emotional dependence on online platforms
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Tension at home over restrictions on K-pop and Korean dramas
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A family environment described as highly controlled, with limited offline social engagement
A suicide note reportedly referenced their online world, underscoring how deeply digital identity had merged with emotional reality.
While authorities continue to piece together the full psychological picture, mental-health professionals have cautioned against reducing the tragedy to a single cause. Instead, they point to a complex intersection of digital immersion, emotional isolation, and adolescent vulnerability.
Why This Tragedy Resonates So Strongly in Kashmir
1. Cheap Internet, Long Winters, Endless Screens
Kashmir has witnessed a dramatic transformation in digital access over the past decade:
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Affordable smartphones
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Cheap data plans
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Increased indoor time, especially during long winter months
In many households:
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Screens remain on late into the night
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Online games, crypto trading, streaming platforms, and social media blur into one continuous digital loop
A school counsellor in Budgam put it bluntly:
“For many teenagers here, the phone is not a device. It’s a room they live in.”
2. Parents Are Seeing the Signs — and Feeling Uneasy
Across Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, and Pulwama, parents report similar patterns:
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Teenagers awake at 2 or 3 a.m. gaming
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Sudden withdrawal from family interaction
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Irritability when devices are taken away
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Obsession with online rewards, avatars, or virtual currency
Yet many admit they feel ill-equipped to intervene.
“We didn’t grow up with this,” said a mother of a 16-year-old boy. “How do you control something you don’t fully understand?”
The Ghaziabad tragedy has turned these quiet worries into open conversations.
The Mental Health Dimension: What the Data Says
Mental-health experts warn that the risks highlighted by the Ghaziabad case are not isolated.
Key Findings from Recent Studies
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26–32% of Indian adolescents show signs of problematic or compulsive gaming
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Excessive gaming is linked to:
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Sleep deprivation
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Declining academic performance
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Anxiety and depressive symptoms
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Emotional dysregulation
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In regions like Kashmir — where mental-health infrastructure is already stretched — early warning signs often go unnoticed or untreated.
A psychiatrist based in Srinagar noted:
“Digital addiction doesn’t look like addiction at first. It looks like talent, interest, or harmless fun — until it isn’t.”
Beyond Gaming: The Online World as Emotional Refuge
One of the most unsettling lessons from the Ghaziabad case is this:
For today’s teenagers, the internet is not just entertainment. It is emotional space.
Experts emphasise:
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Online games offer belonging, achievement, and validation
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Digital communities often replace real-world friendships
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Virtual identities can feel safer than offline selves
For adolescents navigating:
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Academic pressure
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Identity confusion
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Family expectations
…the digital world can become a primary coping mechanism.
In Kashmir, where social mobility, exposure, and outlets can be limited, this emotional reliance may be even more pronounced.
Family Dynamics: Restriction vs Engagement
Investigators in Ghaziabad also flagged strict controls on cultural consumption — including bans on Korean dramas and music — as a possible stressor.
This has sparked debate among Kashmiri parents:
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Is strict restriction effective?
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Or does it push children deeper into secrecy?
Child psychologists increasingly argue that blanket bans can backfire, especially when online platforms serve as emotional lifelines.
“You cannot parent the digital world the same way you parented television,” said a Delhi-based adolescent therapist.
“You have to enter the space, not just police it.”
A National Conversation, a Local Reckoning
The Ghaziabad tragedy has triggered a nationwide debate on:
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Screen addiction
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Adolescent mental health
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Parental responsibility in the digital age
In Kashmir, it has also sparked:
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Discussions in parent-teacher meetings
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Quiet consultations with counsellors
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Family conversations once considered uncomfortable
Some schools are now exploring:
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Digital-wellness workshops
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Counselling sessions for parents
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Awareness programs on online behaviour
What Experts Say Parents Can Do
Rather than panic or punishment, experts recommend:
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Open conversations about online life
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Setting healthy boundaries, not total bans
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Monitoring online spending and gaming hours
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Watching for mood changes, not just screen time
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Treating emotional withdrawal as seriously as academic decline
Most importantly, parents are urged to recognise that:
A child deeply absorbed online may be seeking connection, not defiance.
Why This Is a Wake-Up Call — Not a Moral Panic
Mental-health professionals caution against turning the Ghaziabad case into:
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Anti-technology hysteria
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Cultural blame games
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Simplistic narratives
Instead, they urge families to see it as a warning sign of deeper vulnerabilities shared across regions, cultures, and classes.
Kashmir, like the rest of India, now stands at a crossroads:
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Between digital opportunity and digital overload
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Between supervision and trust
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Between silence and engagement
Conclusion: Distance Doesn’t Protect, Awareness Might
For Kashmiri families, the Ghaziabad tragedy is not about geography. It is about shared realities:
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Cheap internet
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Global pop culture
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Quiet emotional struggles behind glowing screens
The lesson many parents are drawing is sobering but necessary:
The biggest risks to children today may not be on the streets, but on the screens in their rooms.
Whether this tragedy leads to fear or foresight will depend on how families, schools, and society choose to respond.
