Bharat Ek soch: In a world of over 8 billion people, events unfold constantly, sparking endless discussions. Even within the country, whether in politics or the economy, there is always something happening every moment that keeps the streets and news channels buzzing. Enthusiasts are now analyzing why Nitish Kumar handed over the Home Ministry to the BJP, while the Finance Ministry remained with the JD(U). Amidst all these things, one news that shook the entire country was the death of a 16-year-old boy, who studied at a renowned school in Delhi. The minor, identified as Shourya Patil, died by suicide by jumping from the platform of Rajendra Place Metro station on November 18.
In a separate yet similar incident, a fourth-grade student in Jaipur, Amaira, also ended her life by jumping from the fourth floor of her school. News of students’ suicides in Rajasthan’s Kota is also often heard. In such a situation, a series of questions has gained relevance: What kind of pressure is this? What forces children to end their lives? Why is the young generation not able to withstand pressure? Is it a lack of parenting or is it a lack of school and college training? Why do most youth feel lonely even when they are surrounded by a crowd? Who is taking away their happiness? Are the Gen Zs suffering from some mysterious disease? Today, we will try to explore answers to these questions.
But first, let’s talk about the recent shocking case of Shaurya Patil, who ended his life by jumping from the platform of Rajendra Place Metro station in Delhi. According to reports, before dying, Shaurya had been having suicidal thoughts. It is alleged that the minor was being tortured at school. On the other hand, Amaira, who jumped to her death from the fourth floor of a school in Jaipur, was also allegedly harassed and verbally abused at school. Such Incidents continue to emerge from different parts of the country. But the question is, how seriously does our society and system consider such tragic events? Is stress and anxiety a disease or just a normal problem in the body? Psychiatrists view it through their own lenses. Some say that a little stress and anxiety are good for better performance. But when it becomes excessive, they say it is a serious illness. These emotional responses affect every eighth person in the world.
Shaurya Patil is no longer in this world. His family members and friends continue to take to the streets, raising slogans and demanding justice for him. He was allegedly subjected to mental harassment. Here, the question that arises is: What were the circumstances? What kind of pressure did a 16-year-old child face that led him to take his life?
On November 1, a 9-year-old Class 4 student who committed suicide in Jaipur by jumping from the fourth floor of her school was allegedly bullied and taunted. Her parents are now demanding justice for their daughter. Who treated Shaurya and Amaira unfairly? Who tortured them? Many such stories of suicide don’t even make up to headlines, and are known by only a few. The stark reality is that millions of children across the country are dealing with mental health struggles just like Shaurya and Amaira. Some may be to a lesser extent, while some may be to a greater extent.
Based on an NCERT study, 81 percent of students in India suffered from severe anxiety and worry due to studies, exams, and results. Meanwhile, 45 percent of students were impacted by negative thoughts and emotions. Today, every parent and school wants to prepare their children to adjust to the rapidly changing world. In the process, children increasingly face different kinds of pressure, such as academic-related pressure, the pressure to achieve good grades, complete projects on time, perform well in activities, adhere to strict school discipline, and the distress of being alone if both parents are working.
Technology has made children extremely smart, giving them access to information about the world at just a click. However, in the quest to connect with the world, they become disconnected from their loved ones. The increasing trend of nuclear families has weakened social support systems and emotional attachments. Consequently, stress, fear, distrust, and loneliness have gradually become so prevalent in children’s lives that the essence of childhood is fading away. They are slowly turning more vulnerable to mental illnesses, completely invisible to the naked eye.
Mental health issues are rising sharply among students. According to a study, 65 to 70 percent of students are dealing with some form of mental health issue, which doctors classify as stress-anxiety or depression. The reasons for this serious problem vary from rural to urban areas. For instance, in the middle and upper middle class in metropolitan areas, the causes of stress in children appear to be different. Previously, the children stressed about finding their favorite foods. But online delivery of food and beverages, particularly in cities, has solved this problem to a greater extent. In city life, if both parents are working, children can easily order pizza, burgers, French fries, and pasta online. This makes them lazy. In case an argument breaks out between them and their parents, the only thing that scares them is the fear that their comfort will be compromised. In school, a child wants to study without stress. They internalize the concept that they are receiving an education because their parents pay a hefty school fee. This makes them start believing that educational institutions are a service place, and they perceive the strictness or discipline of teachers as ‘poor service quality’. In such a situation, changes in children’s training modules, from home to school, are crucial.
Nowadays, children have become very smart. They have become very techno-friendly and can access any information through smartphones and tablets. In such an environment, they grow up believing that money is everything. Using it, they can get their favorite food items or clothes delivered to their homes in a few minutes. This mindset has also made children extremely lazy. They don’t want to take any stress and are used to finding every problem on the internet.
Indeed, this thinking is rapidly permeating our social fabric. This is weakening the bonds of family and social relationships. Children in cities are being raised in a very safe environment. Parents, caught up in the struggle for jobs in cities, think that they’ve enrolled their children in a good school and provided them with luxuries beyond their financial capacity. What more could a child want? In return, parents expect their children to excel in studies and always top their class. However, in the struggle to arrange for better facilities, parents are unable to spare much time for their children. In such a situation, the internet becomes a guru, guide, and friend, adept at giving all kinds of advice.
In the current lifestyle, children start viewing their parents as ATMs to some extent. Likewise, the parents view their children’s schooling, education, and hobbies as status symbols. One of the side effects is that emotional bonds within the family are gradually weakening. Children’s training to handle pressure and stress is diminishing day by day. Being raised in such an environment, when a child reaches 10th or 12th grade, the pressure to perform well shoots up. They remain under pressure to perform well in their board exams, and are pressured to succeed in gaining admission to good professional courses. In such a situation, students wonder, ‘What’s the point of hard work and studying? When can those in the reserved category easily get admission, even with low marks?’ The intense competition and reservation system are also leading to increased stress in school students. Even if they gain sufficient marks to take admission in a good professional course, how will they arrange for the hefty fees? If they take a loan for higher studies, how will they repay it?
To reduce students’ stress levels, parents should give their children the right to choose their desired career options during their 10th and 12th grade studies, rather than imposing their own will. Children should be given the freedom to choose a career option that suits their abilities, without any pressure or influence. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one billion people worldwide suffer from mental illness. Statistics show that suicide accounts for one in every 100 deaths. Stress, anxiety, and depression have become common topics. But where does this anxiety come from? At an age when children should be living life freely, preparing themselves to take up future challenges, how do they become victims of depression? Why do they often say at home that they don’t feel like living? Why do they have no friends? Why does the young generation become hyper over seemingly trivial matters? Indeed, technology has significantly accelerated the pace of the world. Competition has also increased exponentially. It has given new meaning to relationships. Smartphones are influencing the thinking, understanding, and values of everyone, from children to adults. Consequently, a large part of the world’s population is living two different lives: virtual and real.
In a country with 1.4 billion citizens, social media is an easy way to connect with the rest of the world. However, excessive activity on online platforms is called doomscrolling. The disease of doomscrolling is rapidly increasing among the youth. When a child returns home after school, he/she spend time watching their favorite content on their smartphone. This has led to children becoming restless and reluctant to step out of their homes. In such a situation, they are growing apart from their loved ones.
Social media is playing a crucial role in exposing people to new information, fashions, and trends from around the world. Filtered photos on Instagram, fiery opinions on Twitter, and a race to showcase an ideal lifestyle on Facebook have nothing to do with reality. However, social media is inciting others to live a reel-like lifestyle.
Seeing pictures of others’ successful and happy lives on social media makes people feel incomplete and dissatisfied. Under the pressure of social media and the desire to go viral, people are losing their true identity. Social media and reels give people momentary happiness. They don’t realize how it steals hours from their 24-hour routine. Even when family members are together under the same roof, they often seem lost in their own worlds, glued to their smartphones. This has the greatest negative impact on young children, who, despite being surrounded by family, often feel isolated.
In their virtual attempts to connect with the world, people are increasingly disconnected from family and society. The space for emotional connections is shrinking, pushing people toward anxiety, depression, and loneliness over trivial matters. Its side effects are clearly felt throughout our social fabric, from within families to the work culture of offices. A few days ago, I asked a mid-level colleague on my team about her experience working with a young team. The answer was, “Gen Zs are very tech-friendly. But they lack patience. They get agitated over small things. They also fall sick frequently. They want everything quickly. They have very little time. Relationships don’t hold much importance for them. ‘My way or the highway,’ meaning if something even slightly deviates from their thinking, they pick up their bags.”
Similarly, I recently met some 20- to 22-year-old girls who had barely started their careers a year earlier. I asked why Gen Z is so hyper. Most respondents said that this is a generation that follows and listens online, but rarely at home. This is a generation that grew up with smartphones. Despite being at home with working parents, they are forced to live a lonely life. They attribute their loneliness to mood swings. Perhaps this is the pain of a generation raised in the chaos of metropolitan society, feeling unheard in their families. They were subjected to the social ritual of nurturing and educating.
In today’s rapidly changing world and cut-throat competition, children are constantly under pressure to be faster, smarter, and perfect. As they grow older, there is a growing pressure to be practical to succeed in the world. This is a really dangerous sign. Social media addiction is pushing children toward cyberbullying. Psychiatrists say that stress is not a disease. Doctors hold a similar view regarding anxiety. Psychiatrists believe that a little pressure is necessary for better performance. However, when stress and anxiety become excessive, it can lead to mental illness.
Social media has created a sense of dissatisfaction within a large segment of society. t’s like a mirage, in which people don’t see the challenges of real life. In such a situation, they compare themselves to others who have big houses, cars, latest iPhones. Many such reasons lead to stress among children and youth.
Social media has played a major role in promoting the “My Life, My Style, My Choice” mentality, which has weakened the spirit of dedication and sacrifice for others. It is becoming a source of distrust, insecurity, and emotional distance in relationships. Smartphones, the internet, and social media are the need of the hour. Keeping pace with the world while distancing oneself from technology is nearly impossible.
The question here arises: What is the cure for stress, anxiety, and depression? If children are taught from childhood that discipline is not a burden but the first step toward individual freedom, they will understand that those who are undisciplined eventually become slaves to their preferences and habits. If they are not disciplined about their eating habits, their bodies will become a repository of diseases. If they perceive school and discipline as a burden and stress, the path to a better future will be blocked. If they are not disciplined in their jobs and perceive challenges as stress, they will never be able to move forward.
Training on how much stress to take and how to manage it is crucial. Therefore, in schools, children should focus on both physical and moral education along with academic knowledge. If students are not physically tough and morally disciplined, how will they face the challenges of society? Society is a laboratory filled with people of all kinds and temperaments. Therefore, training on how to move forward while adapting to everyone should be imparted from family to school, so that young India can be protected from mental illness.
It is crucial to teach children and young adults the skills to manage stress and anxiety at every step, preventing depression. It is equally important to take time to nurture real-life relationships alongside virtual ones so that true social connections and support systems can be strengthened. Freedom from mental illness is impossible until people connect emotionally with each other, feeling sad in each other’s sorrows and happy in each other’s joys.
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