What Can Be Done About Gen Z’s Stunt Addiction? Experts Weigh In News24 –

In their craze to become a celebrity in seconds, GenZs don’t even realise that their next move could plunge them to their death. Although Sahil Anil Jadhav, a 20-year-old from Karad in the Satara district of Maharashtra, got lucky and escaped with only minor injuries, not many are lucky like him and have either sunk to their death or had fatal falls or been crushed by a train.

Psychiatrists and traffic administration experts rue this new disease called the “social media obsession,” of which has become so intense that it now requires urgent attention from the medical fraternity and the government to come up with strict guidelines, especially at public places, tourist spots, railway stations, and airports so that people don’t fall prey to their own madness.

“Kick Milta Hai”

“Kick milta hai,” said a young boy who performs daring stunts for his social media platforms, when asked what drives him. He creates bike and car stunts set against stunning backdrops for his content. While his video might have rack up thousands of views, likes, comments, and applauses on Instagram, Facebook or YouTube, yet, what often goes unnoticed is the extreme danger of these stunts. What if the bike had slipped? What if the car had gone out of control? It could mean disaster, potentially even death. The ultimate price could be a human life. Leaving loved ones to grieve and grapple with a haunting regret: “We could have stopped him.”

Likes, Shares, And Viral Fame

In the chase for likes, shares, and viral fame, some young people are endangering not only their own lives but also the lives of others. Performing life-threatening stunts on roads, trains and in other public spaces, or at hazardous locations has become alarmingly common among today’s youth. When asked why they do it, their answers are telling: “Reels bana rahe hain,” “Instagram ke liye kar rahe hain,” or “Facebook par dalenge.” These responses reveal a troubling trend gripping this generation- a relentless pursuit of digital fame.

Chase For Digital Attention

The dangerous pursuit of digital attention has sparked serious concerns. A clear pattern in these incidents reveals the alarming consequences of unregulated bike stunts fueled by the quest for social media validation. High-speed bike and car stunts in crowded areas are illegal and often deadly. As these incidents went on rise, I spoke to a psychiatrist and a road safety expert to gain their perspectives on the reel and stunt craze, exploring how this issue can be addressed at both a parental and societal level.

Psychiatric Insights: Is It an Addiction Or Identity Crisis?

Dr. Pavitra Shankar, a psychiatrist at Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, shared her insights on what drives young people to perform dangerous stunts for social media attention. We asked her whether there is a connection between self-esteem or identity issues and engaging in risky online behavior, and if this could be considered a form of digital addiction or attention-seeking disorder.

Dr. Pavitra explained that this phenomenon isn’t entirely new, and it has been evolving for some time. She pointed out that while parents often oppose such videos, there is still a large audience that consumes such content and gives creators the validation they are seeking.

“Validation is something that is driving these trends,” she said. “It has become a form of social currency, and social media handles now act as an indicator of a person’s authenticity,” Dr. Pavitra added.

She explained that individuals with more followers, likes, and viewers are often perceived as authentic and experts in their fields.

Dr. Pavitra noted that a lack of meaningful real-life conversations is fueling these incidents, driving individuals deeper into the pursuit of digital fame. She described a pattern of interaction where people support each other’s content—liking videos or posts—despite having little regular contact.

Is It A Disorder?

When asked if such behaviour could be considered a disorder, Dr. Pavitra stressed that this tendency or behaviour cannot be specifically classified as a “disorder.” “We can’t call it a disorder, because it’s so common, and how can everybody be having this?” replied the doctor. However, she stressed the importance of recognising when such behaviour crosses the line.

“When your whole life starts to revolve around views, and becomes the only thing you depend on, when your identity is driven by validation, and all this starts causing you distress, then it’s a problem,” she said.

“If there is a certain trend going on in social media and your response to this includes not able to function properly, experiencing sleep disturbances, irritability, mood swings, loss of appetite, increased use of substances like alcohol or cigarettes, anxiety, brain fog, panic, or difficulty in making decisions, and if, at the back of your mind, you realise that the root cause of all this distress is not achieving certain likes, views, or goals on social media, then this is a serious cause for concern,” she added. She also added that, in such cases, it may signal the onset of an issue that requires attention.

For Parents Grabbing Phones From Children

When asked how parents can help curb the social media craze or obsession, Dr. Pavitra noted that the measures parents initially adopt are rarely effective in the long run.

“For many parents, taking away the phone, deleting social media apps, or hyper-controlling is the first step to curb social media use by their children. While these actions might seem like immediate solutions, they are not very effective,” the doctor stated.

She stressed that if the child is under 13, they should not have access to social media accounts at all. And if they do, strict parental controls must be in place. However, more than restrictions, what truly is the need of the hour is an honest communication. Conversations about social media use, cyberbullying, gaming fraud, and online safety should be brought up during dinner table discussions.

“The Internet is going to stay, we can’t avoid it, but we can adopt some measures to prevent the harmful effects of it,” she concluded her statement with this.

Is Weak Enforcement Fuelling Reckless Behaviour?

We then turned the conversation to Dr. Rohit Baluja, President of the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) and a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration. We discussed the existing laws and regulations in India aimed at controlling dangerous driving and stunts, their effectiveness, administrative shortcomings, and the recent incident in Satara.

Dr. Baluja stated that everything is governed under the law, there is nothing that is not governed, and our law is quite comprehensive in all terms.

He highlighted that there are three main legal provisions that deal with speeding and dangerous driving. The first is Section 112 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which states that no person shall drive a motor vehicle in any public place at a speed exceeding the prescribed limit. Then, there is Section 183, which penalises anyone who drives in violation of these rules. The third is Section 189, which deals with racing and trials of speed. It prohibits anyone from participating in a speed trial of any motor vehicle in a public place without written permission from the government.

“If someone wants to perform stunts or speed trials, they can do so in a private space like a stadium. We have no issue with that. But if you carry out such a speed trial or racein a public spacewithoutthewritten consent of the government, then you are punishable under the law.The punishment may include up to 3 months of imprisonmentor a fine of Rs 5,000, as perSection 189 of the Motor Vehicles Act,” stated Dr. Baluja.

When asked if stunts come under these sections, he stated that they are, “only they are not enforced in that manner.”

He elaborated his point on enforcement of these laws by saying: “You need to create a fear psychosis amongst people, they don’t do it here. So if you just charge them for section 183, which is just over speeding, then you pay thousand rupees and get out with it. But the moment you arrest the person it creates ripple effect.”

Dr Baluja added that there is a need for the police department to make regular media calls or take a more proactive approach.

“Police department needs to make regular media calls or something like what you are calling to the people they say that you know now we are going to we have stunts happening, people go faster and now from tomorrow onwards we are going to make sure that if anybody rise in a stunt manner with such a thing we will be arresting them,” he added.

After he mentioned that India lacks on the enforcement part, I questioned him what’s the action in other countries on such activities like performing stunts in public spaces. He responded: “The laws are the same almost everywhere in the world. It is very strict. You can talk of the entire European continent. I have been actually the only person who is now the observer at the United Nations for the legislation part of it. See in Germany for example, they have got Autobahns into normal roads and the speed limit is let us say 80 or 90, if you drive it hundred, you would be caught right away.

He pointed out that enforcement is seriously lacking right now in our country. Most of our traffic policing is concentrated in urban areas. The moment one moves outside the city limits, there is hardly any enforcement.

“We don’t have a highway patrol system in place. So, for example, if you’re on the Gurgaon Expressway or the Satara Road, a national highway that falls outside the regular jurisdiction of city traffic police, there is no one to monitor or take action,”added Dr. Baluja.

When asked if the lack of strict enforcement is also encouraging youngsters to create such reels?  He agreed to it, highlighting that when there is no fear of being caught, fined, or punished, young people feel emboldened to take risks.

Incidents In The Past

A recent incident reported from Maharashtra’s Satara, has again put the spotlight on these deadly incidents. A horrifying video of the car falling into a deep ditch in Patan Sadawaghapur area was filmed when a group of boys, who had reportedly come to visit the area attempted car stunts on the steep slope of the plateau for an Instagram reel. In the video, the car can be seen slipping on the grass covered slope before plunging into a 300-feet deep gorge. The driver sustained injuries in the incident.

In the past, there have been numerous such incidents, where creating content for social media platforms has turned deadly for some.

On June 17, 2025, 27-year-old Vicky Munda lost his life while performing dangerous stunts on his sports bike on the Ramgarh–Patratu State Highway flyover, under the jurisdiction of the Basal Outpost Police Station in Ramgarh (Jharkhand.)

In other incident reported from Rajasthan’s Alwar on September 22, 2024, two boys lost their lives in an accident while shooting a reel and performing bike stunts. The incident took place near the railway culvert in the Rajgarh Industrial area.

Another tragic incident took place in the Sugauli police station area of Motihari on September 2, 2024. Amit Kumar, SHO of Sugauli police station stated, “According to eyewitnesses, four to five bikers were racing among themselves when one of them lost control, resulting in the incident.”

Similarly on July 21, 2024, in the incident reported from Hyderabad, a young boy lost his control while performing stunts on a motorbike, leading to a miserable death.

The growing obsession with social media reels is not only claiming young lives but also threatening public safety. There is an urgent need for public awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of stunt-based content creation. There should be stricter enforcement of traffic laws and monitoring of social media for dangerous content.