16 March,2018 06:18 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day correspondent
Two days after it was highlighted that the railway police are looking for a prankster performing dangerous stunts on trains just for a few likes on social media, this paper has been inundated with reactions and questions about whether the prankster has been caught. The report said that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) had initiated a probe against a YouTuber, who has been uploading prank videos shot inside railway premises. Officers said the man has been making a nuisance of himself by playing pranks on motormen and other staff.
He, like several others, gets his kicks from being some kind of social media phenomenon with a substantial following. He collects 'likes' akin to badge of recognition and honour. This shows how important it is for us to train our youth to live in the real world. Cyber space is being used as a refuge and an alternative universe. People who cannot become celebrities or famous in the real world are now getting two minutes of fame and 20,000 likes on social media. They seek validation through this medium and the way to get attention is by doing dangerous stunts.
It is a good thing that people have complained against him on social media, too. It is best if people puncture these ridiculous achievements by calling him out in the comments section on YouTube. Such attention seekers are dangerous because they spawn imitators who believe this is a shortcut to fame. While the police are trying to nab him, people should distance themselves from these so-called heroics, which can be fatal. Let's teach youngsters that earning 'likes' and posing for selfies is not the only achievement in the world. Going to unacceptable lengths for this, endangering yourself and probably others, too, is certainly no cause for applause.
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