Indian sisters’ suspected suicide sparks debate on online influence, social media bans

Indian police said on Thursday an investigation had been launched into the suspected suicide of three young sisters over concerns that they were heavily “influenced” by games and films online that they were later denied access to.Local media reported the sisters, aged 12, 14 and 16, had jumped from their home on Wednesday in the city of Ghaziabad on the outskirts of the country’s capital.Concern among experts and regulators has grown in recent years that too much screen time and addictive algorithms are harming child development, sparking authorities, including in India, to push for social media bans for children and teens.“[An] investigation is under way based on the suicide note and their phones,” Nimish Patil, a senior police official, said on Thursday.Police in India routinely investigate the factors leading up to suspected suicides.The sisters had been “denied access” to K-pop music and Korean games and films that they had previously played and watched online.“They were influenced by Korean culture: K-pop music, games and films,” Patil said.