KOCHI: K-Pop (South Korean Pop), which has now become a global fad, has gained huge popularity among teenagers and youngsters in the state in recent years. Almost every social media platform, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram are flooded with fan pages and groups that have thousands of followers from Kerala.
BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) — a popular K-Pop band — is the new obsession among teenagers and youngsters. Being a fan of a music may not be harmful, but developing psychological addiction towards band members and their lifestyle is becoming a concern now.
According to officials of the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department, several youngsters, especially teenagers, are being brought in for therapy and psychological intervention because of their addiction to K-Pop bands. Recently, a 15-year-old girl from Alappuzha ran away from home after getting lured by a stranger she met on social media, who promised to help her go to South Korea and visit her favorite band. After her family filed a missing person case, she was brought back home from Bengaluru with the help of police.
Likewise, several cases of extreme addiction to BTS and other K-Pop bands are being reported at the district resource centres under Our Responsibility to Children (ORC)across the state. According to officials, around 15 cases requiring therapy and intervention were reported in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital in the past one year.
“Teenagers are ready to take any risks to visit South Korea and catch a glimpse of their idols. Recently, four such cases came to us in Malappuram alone and our counsellors are providing scientific intervention to help the children and parents. The kids talk to strangers and share their personal information. These children are throwing tantrums at home to visit South Korea. This is an emerging trend and parents, teachers and society should be aware of this,” said state programme officer Arya R Chandra of ORC under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).
With classes being conducted online, children have become more addicted to technology. “The children interact with strangers in private WhatsApp and Telegram fan groups. Teenagers are easily lured into traps by these strangers. Kids get private YouTube live streaming links of these bands from these closed fan groups and they watch it day and night, which is affecting them psychologically,” said psychologist Asna Ahmed, district resource centre (DRC), Malappuram.
“Establishing a rapport with such children is challenging and we always recommend parents to not cut them off abruptly. Rather, the involvement should be gradually brought down by introducing other activities,” said Asna.
According to psychiatrist Arun B Nair of Thiruvananthapuram MCH, an average of two to three cases relating to K-Pop and K-drama addiction comes to him everyday. “Children, especially adolescents, are taken aback by Korean music and movies. Being a psychiatrist, I was forced to see some of the K-Dramas and listen to K-Pop to understand these addictions. I realised that these provide short-lived excitement, a tonic increase of dopamine — the brain chemical that influences good mood. When this drops, children lose focus, their sleep cycles change and they try to watch these in loop during day and night without break to keep up the rush. This leads to poor scholastic performance, depression and sleep deprivation,” said Arun.
Natasha Biji Joseph, one of the admins of BTS Army Kerala page on Instagram and Twitter, said they always circulate messages on their Instagram page advising members to not share personal information with strangers. “We cross check the information they receive in private groups. Our aim is to build a positive community. BTS stands for good values and morals and the deep messages they convey through their songs are really inspiring. Be it K-Pop, football or cinema, some people are bound to get addicted. There is no need to put K-Pop in a bad light. Our followers belong to all age groups, and most of them know where to draw a line,” said Natasha.
Concentration issues, irritability, mood swings and withdrawal are the common symptoms of addiction in children.Psychiatrist Dr Nidhin George Kodiyan of Alappuzha MCH said limiting screen time for children is very necessary.
“We cannot avoid online classes for children. But parents can always limit screen time during other times. It’s very essential for their brain development. For teenagers and children aged 11-18, screen time should be limited to two hours per day. Parents should not allow them to use digital devices in the night,” said Dr Nidhin.
According to Unnikrishnan R Nair, psychiatrist of District Mental Health Programme, teenage girls are more vulnarable to these addictions “Most of these kids are from problematic family backgrounds or have working or separated parents. Most of the children coming to us for intervention belong to families with genetically addictive behaviour too, and they are more vulnerable to addiction and manipulation. They should, hence, be treated extremely carefully,” he added.
Korean pop, dramas and bands are trending among children who watch them on social media day in and day out, leading to addiction. Psychologists say parents must limit screen time of their children and engage them in other activities