Show: MTV Webbed 2

Channel: MTV

Time: 7pm every Friday

Cyber crime — we all can fall prey to it with just the click of a mouse. After a successful first season, MTV is back with Webbed that focuses on various instances of cyber crime — stalking to cheating, date rape and even murder. Hosted by popular television actress Kritika Kamra, MTV Webbed merges fact with fact to give us enacted representations of real-life cases that have destroyed many a youngster’s life.

Best episode: To pay off his debts, a college kid makes an MMS of his own sister while she is changing in her room and circulates it on the web. A move that destroys an entire family.

What works: The gripping narrative and I-could-have-been-in-that- situation feel.

What doesn’t: Nothing.

Channel speak: “All our stories in MTV Webbed are based on true incidents. A lot of research has to be put in, in order to create a single episode of the show. However, the very fact that India ranks third in terms of prevalence of cyber abuse, finding stories isn’t that difficult. In fact, we’re working together with the Cyber Crime Awareness Society that is helping us with the research. Our youth viewers like the fact that an expert gives out simple and useful advice of how one can protect oneself on the web,” said Vikas Gupta, programming head, MTV.

Show: Gumrah

Channel: Channel V

Time: 7pm on Sunday

The Channel V show hosted by TV heart-throb Karan Kundra (in picture) touches upon real-life crimes committed by youngsters. Cyber crime to drug-related offences, Gumrah lays bare what the human mind is capable of when it has no way out of a situation.

What works: The show, currently in its third season, avoids taking the preachy route. Another huge plus? Karan Kundra as host.

What doesn’t: Could be grittier in theme and treatment.

Best episode: The episode centred on teen pregnancy was an eye-opener for a lot of youngsters as well as parents. The episode featured Prachi, a young girl who suffered from an inferiority complex as she was obese and was often a subject of ridicule. Classmate Amit and his friends mocked and jeered her. Later, Amit befriended her... to be physically intimate with her. Prachi trusted him blindly and fell for him. The result? Yet another teen pregnancy.

Channel speak: “Our episodes are a take-off on real incidents that have occurred across the country. We generally go through news articles and pick the sources. Depending on the potential of the stories, we develop them. There is a lot of research that goes into picking the right story. Our attempt with Gumrah was to talk about teen crimes that are committed by someone who the victim knows or is familiar with. The feedback to the show has been phenomenal. We have had our audience tell us how the show has taught them to be careful, cautious and seek help whenever needed,” said Lavanya Anand, programming head, Channel V.

Show: Yeh Hai Aashiqui

Channel: Bindass

Time: 6pm every Sunday.

The hour-long episode aired every Sunday evening beams unusual love stories of today’s day and age. The show hosted by small-screen heart-throb Rithvik Dhanjani, that went on air in August 2013, features stories of heartbreak and heartburn that its young audience identifies with. At the end of each episode, real-life couples come forward to share their thoughts on the real problems of love, life and loss that they have faced.

What works: The focus on mature and realistic love stories.

What doesn’t: Tends to get too mushy sometimes and the tragic endings are often depressing.

Best episode: The first episode (in picture) in which Tushar (Yuvraj Thakur), a young photography student, falls in love with Priyanka (Anita Hassanandani), an armyman’s wife who is stuck in a bad marriage.

hear it from the fans

MTV Webbed 2 not just creates awareness about cyber crimes but also warns us to be careful about our social-networking habits. And the kind of people you get in touch with online! You can actually relate to some of the incidents and feel: ‘OMG! I did this too and thank god that I’m safe!’

Shagufta Rahaman, third year, mass communication and journalism, Rani Birla College

I think Gumrah was the first show to take this kind of initiative... boldly discussing problems faced by today’s youth, which many would feel uncomfortable to talk about openly. The best thing about the show is that it explores the minds of criminals, discussing the reasons behind their behaviour, and finally comes up with very simple and practical solutions.

Disha Banerjee, first year, English, Shri Shikshayatan College

Yeh Hai Aashiqui is a break from shows like Emotional Atyaachar because the latter only showed the bitter side of relationships. Yeh Hai Aashiqui shows true love and the practical problems that couples go through. More importantly, it’s not filmy and the actors are not well known so viewers can form a better connection.

Meera Bhowmik, first year, MA in mass communication and journalism, Calcutta University

Gumrah tries to put the focus on incidents that spoil the lives of teenagers. We are made aware of the sexual harassment that teens have to often undergo. Every teen must watch the show at least once.

— Bishal Chakraborty, first year, media science, NSHM Institute of Media & Communication

Compiled by Ratnalekha Mazumdar and Shweta Keshri

Which is your favourite youth show? Tell t2@abp.in