6 months on, young man addicted to mobile phone finds his way back to family

Mangaluru: A man found living in unhygienic conditions on the streets of Udupi was rescued, treated, and reunited with his family recently.

Basavaraj S Chinnanavar, a social worker from Shraddha Rehabilitation Foundation in Karjat, Mumbai, said that a youth from Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district was reunited with his family on May 15 after being missing for over six months. The youth was first found wandering the streets of Udupi in a pathetic condition and was rescued on March 22 by Eshwar Malpe, a social worker. He was initially admitted to Snehalaya Charitable Trust, Kasaragod, and later shifted to Shraddha Foundation on April 11 for long-term care and rehabilitation. After weeks of dedicated follow-up, the organisation successfully traced his family.

"We learnt that the youth was a school dropout and developed a serious addiction to mobile phones. He stopped communicating with his family and was reported missing for about six months. It is suspected that he may have travelled by train to Udupi and might have lost his phone and belongings on the way," said Basavaraj.

The youth's return brought joy to his village, where the community welcomed him back warmly. He was prescribed two months of aftercare medication to support his recovery. Snehalaya Charitable Trust, which has helped reunite over 1,600 individuals with their families across India, and Eshwar Malpe played important roles in the youth's rehabilitation and reunion.

This, however, is not an isolated case. Almost a year ago, a youth from Bengaluru was rescued from the streets of Mangaluru after falling into a similar pattern of mobile phone addiction. However, this youth was addicted to games and his dependency escalated to such an extent that he began stealing money to pay for in-game purchases. He was even beaten by the public for stealing money. Once he recovered at Snehalaya and was later shifted to Shraddha, his family was traced and reunited with him.

Basavaraj said that while these two men were picked from the street, several others are being treated for mobile phone addiction. "We have noticed that patients are addicted either to mobile games or endlessly scrolling through social media reels. Over time, this addiction leads to emotional withdrawal, social isolation, and a complete disconnect from reality, including family and friends," he added.