Effect of OTT Platforms on Juvenile Behavior: Indian Perspective

Introduction

What does modern childhood entail? Modern children's lives have unquestionably improved on a number of counts, due to increased public safety and assistance with both physical and mental health. Before they can walk or talk, many kids have access to cell phones and the countless options the digital world offers. In addition, children in the 21st century are reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety, and the pervasiveness of the digital world introduces new dangers like cyberbullying that follow them from the playground into their homes.

With the assistance of data, entertainment has become more personalized and portable in recent years. The introduction of OTT platforms has made numerous genres, languages, and production styles of programs freely accessible to the entire globe. Since the pandemic that began at the beginning of 2020, its utilization has increased.

The likes of Money Heist, Mirzapur, November Story, and Friends, among others, have been a constant source of entertainment for us to consume throughout the day. Due to the stark contrast of projections in the shows (such as offensive language, violence, and mindless but beautiful cinematography), it has begun to affect the lives of the young adults who are the largest consumers of these platforms. Psychologically, the amount of dread created by these shows is increasing abnormal mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression. It also effects the quality of logical and analytical thought that the human mind is able to conceive, conceptualize, and create with the capability’s nature has bestowed upon humanity through evolutionary processes. (Anuradha Ishwaran, 2016)

“Nearly every action in today's technology-based world involves the internet. Life for most people has been increasingly digitised and connected to the internet. Due to the pandemic, this dependence on the internet has grown since last year. As things grow more ingrained in the digital age, students' higher education will increasingly be conducted online. According to United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)1, one in three internet users are young, thus we may assume that one third of the population of the digital world is made up entirely of juvenile. We are evolving into an E-world, making us increasingly susceptible to dangers that go hand in hand with technological development. The notion of cybercrimes was created in response to this threat brought on by technological advancement. Under Indian law, the term “cybercrime” is not defined anywhere, although the information technology act of 2000 and the information technology amendment act of 2008 address numerous forms of cybercrime and the laws that apply to them.

There is no distinction between a youngster and an adult when it comes to access to technology and computers. Children today play a significant role in this technologically advanced society, which has an impact on their daily lives in the same ways that it does on adults'. The peer pressure that is currently consuming society is leading to an increase in visibility on social media platforms. These social media platforms do not distinguish between children and adults, so kids get access to the same information as adults have.

If used within acceptable bounds, all this exposure gives kids a chance to grow up in step with the fast-paced society. However, there are situations when technology is not exploited to one's advantage but is instead abused and used to harm others. Juveniles who misuse technology for their own ill-gotten profits commit cybercrimes including cyber-fraud and other types of online crimes. Cyber scams, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, identity theft, drug trafficking, digital piracy, cyber-suicides, cyber-theft, illegal hacking, and other sorts of cybercrimes are all commonly committed by young people. In addition to these well-known cybercrimes, fresh crimes are committed every day using technology.