A young boy has committed suicide after spending too much money on online games. To his parents' chagrin, the 14-year-old is said to have wasted their money on mobile games. He committed suicide because he was afraid of being chastised for spending too much.

The youngster was discovered in a body of water near Irinjalakuda in Thrissur, Kerala, India, according to Latin Times. On November 16, his parents reported him missing, and search efforts eventually discovered his body. According to The New Indian Express, the main assumption is that he was afraid of reprimanding his father if he continued to spend money on online games.
According to the New Indian Express, the game involved in this incident was Free Fire, however, it isn't 100% certain that this was the only game he spent money on, or that it was the one in this case. However, Free Fire is extremely popular in India. He also lost "a lot" of money on gaming, according to the story, though it's unclear how much.

On Wednesday, authorities discovered the boy's shoes and bicycle near a pond while searching for him. This resulted in extra cops being dispatched to find the boy, which is tragic.
It's unfortunate that an adolescent went to such lengths, and it demonstrates the influence some games have on children and how they may drive spending. A new study published earlier this year looked into the link between gambling and treasure boxes. The link was "thoroughly verified," and demands to reduce strategies used to boost gaming spending were echoed. However, serious steps to safeguard children against these practices have yet to be taken in areas like India. Despite the fact that loot boxes were not used in this situation, excessive spending is nevertheless encouraged.