Family of killed DC 'Subway Surfer' call for social media change
Jay Thirunarayanapuram, 15, died in June. His parents say social media played a role in his death.
A grieving Silver Spring family is calling on social media companies and regulators to aggressively restrict content aimed at teens linked to incidents of deaths and injuries after the loss of their son in a so-called 'Subway Surfing' incident on Washington's Metro system in June.
They are also calling on Metro to take actions such as installing video cameras on trains so operators can stop when thrill seekers are spotted trying to ride on the rooftops.
An Instagram Obsession
Desikan Thirunarayanapuram and his wife Vaishali Honawar say their son, 15-year-old Jay Thirunarayanapuram, had become addicted to social media. They believe the addiction fueled his compulsion to take more and more extreme risks. They say social media platforms share responsibility for intentionally creating algorithms to addict children.
Jay’s parents point out that “Subway Surfing” is fueled by its own hashtag on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok, racking up millions of views and glamorizing a dangerous subculture.
According to a report from Metro Transit police, Jay had been riding on top of a Red Line metro train at Brookland on the afternoon of June 20. By the time police responded to the next stop at Rhode Island Avenue, Jay had fallen under the wheels of the train just outside the station. He died on the tracks.
“I don't think he would have done those dangerous activities had it not been for social media," said Honawar. "It was really what was driving him. He wanted his peers to see that he could do these things."
She and her husband called their son's pursuit of "likes" and other engagement metrics on Instagram an "obsession."
“They need to be responsible for the harm they're causing kids," Honawar said.
According to his parents who showed WUSA9 Jay's Instagram account, Jay was engaging with a community of Subway Surfers who posted videos and photos of their high-risk practice of climbing on moving trains and making videos of their stunts.
Jay's Instagram account includes self-made videos of riding on Metro trains, and freight cars, and illegally climbing high towers. His parents said they had him in therapy while school authorities engaged him in daily counseling.
Vaishali Honawar said she turned off Wi-Fi in the home at night to restrict Jay's time on social media. Both parents say Jay may have been more vulnerable to social media and extreme behavior because of trauma suffered in an orphanage in India. The couple adopted Jay when he was six.
They said their efforts proved futile against the power of social media in Jay's mind.
A Fight For Social Media Change
Jay’s case caught the attention of their Congressman, U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D) Maryland, who wrote to social media companies demanding they ban subway surfing videos.
In October, Raskin said he met with officials from Meta, the company that operates Instagram. Meta told Raskin the company's terms of service can be used to restrict some types of high-risk content.
“They concede that it's very difficult to enforce the policy," Raskin said.
"They were not able to tell us how many times they've taken down content for advocating subway surfing. They've not been able to tell us how many people are specifically on the lookout for it."
Meta did not respond to WUSA9's questions regarding Jay's case and his parents’ claims.
TikTok, which has also been harshly criticized for Subway Surfing content, issued statements to WUSA9 saying the company “will remove dangerous content like subway surfing as soon as we become aware of it."
Raskin said he believes social media platforms are intentionally designed to be addictive.
“Clearly, they are and when you're using the word addiction, you're not using it metaphorically. You're using it literally. I believe there are cognitive responses. neurological effects of social media activity now.
Raskin was the author of a bill giving the National Institutes of Health $15 million to study the issue more thoroughly. The bill passed in 2022.
Meanwhile, Attorneys General in 42 states and the District of Columbia are now suing Meta alleging the products are designed to addict kids. Virginia, Maryland, and the District are participating in the suits.
Metro Fights Back
New York’s MTA system has been plagued by Subway Surfing deaths and injuries, prompting that city to launch its own social media campaign to fight back.
In the D.C. region, Metro reports being aware of five incidents of Subway Surfing since 2021 with one death and two injuries. Metro said in a statement that it plans to collaborate with the MTA in New York to “amplify messages that we hope will discourage this activity.”
Metro has not acted on Jay's parent's demand for cameras on trains.
"Riding outside of a train is dangerous, illegal, and highly likely to lead to severe injury or death," Metro spokesman Ian Jannetta said in a written statement to WUSA9. "Signage is posted between bulkhead doors between railcars warning customers that walking between railcars is dangerous and prohibited unless in an emergency situation such as a train evacuation at the direction of Metro personnel or emergency responders."
"We share Representative Raskin’s safety concerns regarding subway surfing. While Metro has fortunately not seen many of these incidents, we strongly condemn any form of this dangerous behavior."
Jay's parents, friends and teachers continue to mourn his loss. He was a remarkable artist known for spirited and warm engagement with teachers and administrators at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, where he was a sophomore.
"It's all gone, and we have to just look back at what we have left of him and remember him every day, and that’s not going to be easy for a long time to come," said Jay's father Desikan as he looked at a stunning self-portrait Jay made shortly before his death.
“I think it was the end of our lives as we knew it," his mother said
Social Media Addiction Resources
If you’re concerned a loved one may be exhibiting signs of social media addiction, or struggles with their mental health, below are several resources to utilize in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
SOCIAL MEDIA HELP ORGANIZATIONS
MARYLAND MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS
VIRGINIA MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS
DC MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS