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🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

Viral Bullying Videos Test Bhutan’s Digital Transition and Traditional Values

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Viral videos of school bullying in Bhutan have sparked national debate about social media's impact on traditional values.
  • The incidents, showing secondary school girls attacking a classmate, have prompted police and education authority investigations.
  • The events challenge Bhutan's image as a peaceful Buddhist nation prioritizing Gross National Happiness, raising questions about youth behavior and digital responsibility.

Viral videos depicting severe bullying among secondary school students in Bhutan have ignited a national conversation about the erosion of traditional values in the face of social media's pervasive influence. Footage captured by classmates, showing girls physically assaulting another student, circulated widely in early June across platforms like Facebook, X, Reddit, and Telegram, leading to outrage and investigations by police and education authorities.

As a mother myself, I couldn’t even fall asleep at night and images kept flashing in my memory. It was that disturbing.

— Sangay DemaDescribing her emotional reaction to the bullying videos.

These incidents stand in stark contrast to Bhutan's carefully cultivated image as a peaceful, Buddhist nation that prioritizes social well-being over material growth through its philosophy of "Gross National Happiness." The kingdom, which introduced television and the internet only in 1999 as part of a cautious modernization program, has long sought to limit outside influence and protect its distinct culture. Yet, social media has become increasingly popular among its roughly 800,000 inhabitants, serving as a bridge to the outside world.

The school where the incident occurred, Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School in the capital Thimphu, stated it is treating the situation with "the utmost seriousness." Students involved have been suspended, and the videos were removed. The episode has prompted broader discussions on youth behavior, digital responsibility, misinformation, and the societal impact of technology.

Social media has democratised access to information, civic participation and opportunities for youth. But it also has the potential to amplify outrage, public shaming and hate speech.

— Tandin WangmoDiscussing the dual nature of social media's impact.

Sangay Dema, a 32-year-old mother, expressed deep distress over the videos, stating, "As a mother myself, I couldn’t even fall asleep at night and images kept flashing in my memory." Tandin Wangmo, head of the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy, noted that while social media democratizes information and participation, it also "has the potential to amplify outrage, public shaming and hate speech." Content creator Dorji Gyeltshen, 24, observed that children with access to phones and tablets are easily influenced, emphasizing that "the content we consume has a significant impact on our lives."

The content we consume has a significant impact on our lives.

— Dorji GyeltshenHighlighting the influence of media on young people.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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