COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Psychology Association (TNPA) has urged the Higher Education Department to direct institutions under it to ensure that students do not shoot reels in classrooms or college premises as it vitiates the educational atmosphere.
The association further requested that, to curb such practices, the Department should create awareness among students that shooting reels affects education and educational institutions.
The association raised this demand after a student at a government women's college in the city attempted to end her life in the classroom last week after she was reprimanded for shooting reels on campus.
Association president K Balamurugan told TNIE that when students shoot reels for cinema songs, dialogues, and the like in classrooms and college premises and post them on social media, other students too get tempted to do so.
He pointed out that if everyone starts doing this, it would severely affect the academic atmosphere in educational institutions, impacting students' education and causing them to lose interest in their studies.
He urged the Higher Education Department to bring in strict norms banning the shooting of reels inside college premises.
"Teaching faculty should not react negatively against students, especially female students, who shoot reels as they are particularly sensitive at this adolescent age. Instead, they should provide proper advice to students with the help of parents and arrange psychological counselling, such as Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, for those who appear to be addicted to shooting reels in colleges," he said.
He further demanded that the Higher Education Department offer social skill training to students to prevent them from falling into the social media trap.
An assistant professor, K Saravanan, at a Coimbatore college told TNIE that teaching faculty cannot question students if they shoot reels outside campus.
When asked about it, a top officer of the higher education department told TNIE that he will take steps to conduct awareness programme on the matter.