The devastating impact that social media and the internet can have on impressionable young minds was on macabre display this week in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, where a Class 10 student slit the throat of a classmate he would have regular arguments with. The investigating officer told this newspaper that the accused wanted to learn how to kill his classmate, with whom he would have regular face-offs in school, and, therefore, started watching YouTube videos about the “most effective ways to kill a person.”
ht Research has also established the need to moderate children’s internet use and monitor their web browsing patterns. But the crime in Kanpur shows that this is yet to trickle down to every layer of Indian society. Young people do commit crimes, and India has an extensive framework to prosecute such cases while protecting the best interests of the juvenile offender and society. But safeguarding young minds from perverse online influences must also be written into the social compact, and be seen as the responsibility of parents and institutions — and, of course, Big Tech. As cell phone penetration in India rises, and access to the internet becomes more democratised, more young people will go online and explore. This is a welcome phenomenon in any developing country because it lays the foundations of economic and social progress. But this also has a flip side, and parents, society, institutions such as schools, and internet companies will need to be more vigilant and responsible in ensuring that young people remain insulated from harm.
Experience unrestricted digital access with HT Premium
Explore amazing offers on HT + Economist
