The digital age has transformed recognition and fame into commodities measured in likes, shares, and fleeting moments of virality. What once demanded years of effort in art, sport, or scholarship can now be replaced by seconds of reckless footage. A recent video titled “True Online Love” doing the rounds on social media, epitomizes this disturbing trend: a couple sits under a stationary goods train, hugging and kissing, only to roll away as the train suddenly whistles and moves.

Intended as thrilling entertainment, the act trivializes life and safety, reflecting a growing menace that threatens individuals and society alike. The allure of virality is engineered. Social media platforms reward sensational content, pushing material that provokes awe, laughter, or outrage. For impressionable youth, this creates a powerful incentive to escalate risk-taking. The developing brain, still learning judgment and impulse control, is particularly vulnerable. The promise of instant celebrity overshadows long-term aspirations and constructive development. Short-term gratification becomes the currency of identity, and dangerous stunts the medium of exchange. Statistics reveal the scale of the crisis. While comprehensive global data is difficult to collect, available studies and reports highlight the tragic consequences of this culture:

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• Selfie-related deaths: 259 fatalities in 137 incidents globally between 2011-2017, with drowning, falls, and transport injuries leading.

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• Blackout Challenge: 82 U.S. youth deaths between 1995–2007, at least 20 child deaths globally in 18 months around 2022.

• Tide Pod Challenge: Over 12,000 cases of detergent ingestion in 2017, with symptoms including vomiting and respiratory failure.

• Selfie fatalities since 2008: At least 109 deaths worldwide.

• Professional stunt performers: 80 per cent reported head impact injuries in their careers, despite safety protocols.

• Local incidents in India: Fatal bike crashes in Himachal Pradesh and Surat; tractor overturn in Karnataka; near-drowning in Rajasthan. These numbers, though incomplete, underscore the tragic consequences of equating risk with importance. India’s tragedies illustrate the immediacy of the problem. A 22-year-old engineering student died while filming bike stunts for social media reels, losing control and sustaining critical neck injuries. Another youth in Surat met a similar fate. In Karnataka, a tractor stunt overturned,........

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