The Indian Teenager

The lives of Indian teenagers reflect the ethnic, linguistic, religious, and
cultural diversity of the country’s more than one billion people. Despite the
liberalization of the Indian economy and society since the 1990s, traditional
values still exert their binding influence over the majority of its people,
including teenagers. The proliferation of satellite television channels in all the
major languages of India, as well as in English, the widespread access to the
Internet, and the increasing influence of Western culture – all these have
unleashed forces that have come into conflict with India’s 5,000-year-old
tradition, presenting peculiar and unique challenges to the Indian teenager.

Attaining puberty (around the age of 13) marks the coming of age of Indian
children and their entry into the teenage years. This event is celebrated in
various ways in different regions of the country. Puberty rites are conducted for
girls with elaborate rituals and feasts which may last up to 10 days. Upanayanam
(the “sacred thread” ceremony) is conducted for boys who have come of age by the
three Hindu upper castes (Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vysya). Celebrations are also
held for boys who attain puberty in some parts of the country, especially among
high caste and upper class Hindus.

Teenagers in India generally finish high school at the age of 16. Teenagers from
middle- and upper-class families usually pursue some kind of higher education.
They rarely enter the job market before obtaining a degree or diploma. All their
financial needs, including pocket-money, are provided for by their parents, who
sometimes support them even into adulthood. In lower-class families, however, many
teenagers, especially boys, work part-time along with their studies, earning
around 250 to 700 Indian rupees (US$ 6-16) per month. Teenagers from low-income
families (many living in slums) most often drop out of school and work full time
in menial jobs to support their families, generally earning around 1,200 to 2,500
Indian rupees (US$30-60) per month.

The institution of family holds supreme importance in Indian society. It is

through the family that the age-old traditions and culture of India is transmitted
to children. Many Indian teenagers still live in traditional Hindu joint families
where three generations live together and where teenagers constantly interact with
parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins. The joint family system has
been in decline during the last few decades and a large number of teenagers are
now members of nuclear families. Reverence for parents and other elders is the
norm among Indian teenagers. Most of the decisions regarding their education and
lifestyle are taken by parents or other elders. This is more so in the case of
girls who are constantly supervised and controlled, while teenage boys are given
relatively more freedom.

The influence of religion and spirituality is very profound in Indian society and
culture. The teenagers of India belong to various religions, such as Hinduism
(majority religion), Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism (all four originated in India);
Islam (second largest Muslim population after Indonesia), Christianity,
Zoroastrianism, and even Judaism as well as animism. Despite the existence of a
strong secular movement, most teenagers of India are relatively devout and they
regularly flock to the various temples, mosques, churches, and many holy places,
which can be found in every nook and corner of the country. Very few teenagers
would think of going to the opening of a school term or attending an examination
without offering their prayers and conducting some ritual at a place of religious
worship. The belief in astrology and auspicious times is very strong among Indian
teenagers. Recent times have seen many Hindu gurus and sannyasins (religious
teachers and anchorites) catching the imagination of a large number of teenagers
who have become their willing followers. The various protestant denominations of
India as well as the Charismatic movement in the Catholic Church have been able to
wean many teenagers away from alcoholism, substance abuse, and unhealthy sexual
activity. An increasing number of Muslim teenage boys attend madrassas (Islamic
schools) where they sometimes fall under the influence of radical Islamic ideas.

The economic resurgence of India since 1990 (India has been classified as a
“transforming” economy instead of a “developing” economy by the US State
Department) has wrought profound changes in the dynamics of teenage lifestyle. The
increasing affluence of the middle- and upper-classes has provided Indian
teenagers with various amenities including cell phones, satellite TV, access to
the Internet, as well as motorbikes and scooters. Going to the movies with parents
or friends is still the most important entertainment activity of teenagers in
India, which is the largest film producer in the world. Indian movies, in various
languages, hold great sway over the imagination of teenagers, many of them
imitating movie stars (who have an iconic status) in matters of fashion and
beauty. English movies have also become popular among teenagers, especially in
urban areas. Watching satellite television, especially the plethora of music
channels in various languages including English, has become a craze among
teenagers in recent times.

The ubiquitous cell phone, found among a large number of Indian teenagers, has
redefined the leisure-time activity of boys and girls. ‘SMS-ing’ (instant
messaging) friends, boyfriends, or girlfriends is the latest fad among teenagers.
Affluent teenagers frequently hang out at places like Pubs, discos, and rock bars
where they dance to Hindi film music or Western pop. Teenagers also hang out at
shopping centers, multiplexes, pizza parlors, coffee pubs, Internet and video game
parlors, as well as beaches, parks, and temples. In the rural areas, aside from
the occasional movie, attending the numerous festivals and participating in folk
dances are the favorite leisure-time activity among teenagers.

Indian teenagers participate in various kinds of sports as well as watch them on

television or at stadiums. Cricket is the most popular sport in India for
teenagers as it is for adults. World-class cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and
Rahul Dravid have iconic status among Indian teenagers, rivaling the popularity of
movie stars. Field hockey, basketball, volleyball, and track and field are some of
the other sports popular among teenagers. Teenagers often take part in inter-
school and inter-collegiate sports competitions at the state and national levels.

Indian society is still predominantly traditional and conservative, and dating and
courtship among teenagers is frowned upon and discouraged. However, dating is
becoming more common in metros and large cities. According to a survey, 35.5
percent of teenage boys and 15 percent of teenage girls in the cities went on
dates regularly. Most of the dating takes place without the knowledge of parents
or under the pretext of group socializing. Indian society strongly disapproves of
pre-marital sex, except in the Northeast, where people have a tolerant attitude
towards teenage sex. In most parts of the country, however, girls caught in sexual
activity particularly face heavy stigma from parents and society at large. The
advent of satellite television and the Internet has been a liberating factor for
many Indian teenagers, making them bold enough to engage in sexual activity. The
knowledge of teenagers regarding sex and its consequences is abysmally poor in
India. Six of the 28 Indian states have initiated programs to impart sex education
to teenagers. This has, however, come under heavy fire from conservative elements,
which regard such initiatives as degrading and opposed to Indian culture and
values.

Despite the great strides made by the Indian economy and society in recent times,
about 300 million Indians still live below the poverty line. Teenagers from such
background sometimes face insuperable difficulties to their true fulfillment. Many
of them, especially from the lower castes, are exploited as forced, indentured
laborers by feudalistic landlords. Many teenagers are also forced by circumstances
to work in dangerous occupations, like the fireworks units of Sivakasi, in the
South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Teenage girls of lower castes belonging to less
developed states are often sold into prostitution by their own parents. Many such
girls have been rescued by social workers and the police from the brothels of
Mumbai and other metropolitan cities.

Teenagers from affluent backgrounds are also facing various obstacles to their
smooth transition into adulthood. Alcoholism and substance abuse have been on the
rise among middle- and upper-class teenagers. Many of them are introduced to
substances like marijuana, hashish, and bhang (a cannabis variant) by their peers.
Drugs popular in the West – like morphine, heroine, and cocaine – have also found
acceptance among teenagers. Drug rehabilitation programs in India are still scanty
and does not match the standard found in the US and Europe. The conflict between
traditional sexual repression and the desire for sexual freedom (as in the West)
has seen many teenagers falling into deviant behavior.

India does not have a gun culture among teenagers as there is in the US.
Therefore, incidences like the student violence in Columbine and other schools in
the US do not happen here. However, there have been some instances of teenage boys
stabbing girls who had resisted their sexual advances. Many teenagers have also
been killed in the troubled state of Jammu & Kashmir, where Islamic terrorists
have been using teenagers to carry and plant explosives.

There has been an increasing trend of teenage suicides in India in recent times.
According to a report in the New Scientist, South India now has the highest
suicide rate in the world. The report also stated that teenage girls were more
likely to commit suicide than boys. In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu,
the suicide rate among teenage girls was 148 per 100,000, compared to 2.1 suicides
per 100, 000 for the similar group in the UK. Academic failure was reportedly the
major cause of teenage suicides.

Despite the various problems they face, conditions have never been better for
Indian teenagers. A large number of them are avidly pursuing their education and
planning their careers in order to join the surging economic bandwagon. The number
of people living below the poverty line has also been decreasing, releasing many
teenagers from the throes of poverty and hardship. Many teenagers have also
successfully resolved the dichotomy between traditional values and modern
compulsions, steering a middle path.