I QUIT....

Indian teens succumbing to pressure to grasp up in the rat race.

Shah Muneeb Raza1

Suicides, the fourth leading cause of death globally in 15 to 18 age group, is a major problem worldwide which has seen an increasing inclination in India in the recent past, leading to enormous socioeconomic loss due to the death of the young population. The wastage of young lives is in fact an indication to us, of the world we have created for ourselves. Indian teens, presumed to be the future torch bearers of the country, have imbibed a lot of alien downbeat things from western world besides clothes like drug abuse, substance abuse, pre-martial relations, suicides etc. The teenagers of this millennium are growing up in a vibrant world with innumerable options before them in careers, leisure and lifestyle, but sometimes such glut of choices generate a lot of confusion and conflict in their lives forcing them to take the ugly course of life towards doom on their own accord. The recent rise in teenage suicides has moved ahead of being just a few
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erratic cases into an alarming disturbing trend, which needs to be curbed quickly so that it doesnt transform the country into suicide teens graveyard.

Though adolescence is the time of great prospects, it can be a period of great bewilderment and fretfulness as there are several reasons attributed for such negative actions by teens which range from biological-mental disorders, to environmental and socio-cultural problems- a drifter, difficulty in school, death of a family member and lack of social support. Strong parental pressure to perform extraordinarily well, as parents discuss only career issues with their wards, is one of the prime reasons coercing teens to take up that final fatal step, as adolescents whose parents do not understand what they are going through are the most vulnerable lot. The helicopter parents, who hover overhead rarely out of reach, expect their child to be 100% in 100 fields, compelling them to revolve their life around a seemingly endless cycle of extra classes-English, science, maths, history, geography, guitar, football, swimming, dance, chess and even reality
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shows, unlike 1% in 100 fields since it has a deep alliance with their social image. Parents need to realize that if their children are cars they can run at a bullet speed on road but in no case can fly; unfortunately what they actually expect them to do- as somewhere along the line the parents' transfer their own unachieved goals on to the child. There are numerous lessons to be drawn by parents from Amir Khan starring films like, Taree Zameen Par and 3 Idiots as they communicated several messages to parents in augmenting that kids should be allowed to follow their hearts and be self-educated rather than self-trained. The young generation is fearless and bold but fierce competition and peer pressure still manages to rupture the strongest teenage souls. Exam time too heightens the pressures when friends in groups continuously compare marks and discuss the extent of revisions done. Infatuation seems to be another causative factor, as teenagers have to cope up with the new trend of having a special friend from the opposite sex, endowing additional pressure to kids who do not have a steady partner, and if turned down or rejected students opt to slit their wrist as to them its not about being dead but a way of ending pain and solving
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a problem. The pressure to fit in socially, to act responsibly, growing self-identity and need for self independence often clashes with the rules and expectations set by others too have dangerous insinuation. The other crushing burden, to which teens are obliged to bow, is that there exist certain schools where the drive to secure excellent records results in teachers themselves intentionally or unintentionally putting a lot of pressure on youngsters even taking the form of intimidation and threats. Teachers as an outcome fail to deal with students on an individual basis and students who spend a large part of their time in schools require appropriate feedback from their teachers as it is imperative to build their self-esteem. Corporal punishment, insults and humiliations by teachers in front of their mates proves to be detrimental whereas a positive feedback raises the self-esteem of the student. As the children are unripe, suicide of a schoolmate or friend receiving media coverage can encourage suicidal impulses as imitation through exposure makes adolescents more vulnerable to suicide. Teens on the other hand cant shun away from the responsibility, they have to contribute to, and choose an anti-religion way of bidding adieu
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to this vicious competitive world, Islam for instance views suicide as one of the greatest sins and utterly detrimental to one's spiritual journey. The prohibition of suicide has also been recorded in authentic statements of Hadith. For example "He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Fire (Hell), and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself, he shall keep stabbing himself in the Fire (Hell)."Teenagers have to acquaint themselves with the fact that they are not matured enough to solve their crises, instead they pave a way for letting themselves caught up in terrible predicament if they endeavour to solve their problem on their own and henceforth should approach their parents as they are their best well wishers. The teens need to fight out to the ugly situation rather than succumbing to it as he conquers who endures. The adolescents have no right to take their parents legitimate expectations for a ride and do whatever they wish to. This extravagance of hundreds of teenage lives out of terror and fret can only be most effectively tackled inside the home. Parents, school personnel and peers can recognise the warning signs and take immediate action to keep the child safe and for this to be achieved,
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parents need to be in constant touch with school authorities. The parents should desist from continuous scolding of their children and superfluous reminders to study as half of the children get irked by this unwarranted behaviour. On seeing the signs, parents should remain calm, ask the child directly about what he/she is thinking, listen and not accuse them, show concern and assure them of help, not judge and provide constant supervision. The parents should discuss specific experiences-exam tension, institution and experiences within this institution-friendship with their kins. If child seems constantly depressed, angry, or withdrawn, parents need to pay attention and encourage communication. Parents should approach doctors and counsellors for falling grades of their children and signs of stress, depression and anxiety, if any. These healthier ways of approaching kids can circumvent their looming future crises and save a precious and functional person, as he may be hiding in himself a future patriot, artist, painter, doctor, engineer, journalist, social engineer, sportsperson, academician or even a president.

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Concluding, if you want your child to walk the ramp perfectly you need to walk besides him rather than directing him to walk perfectly.

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Student, B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) II, Faculty of Law, AMU- Aligarh.202002 email-sainiki2656@gmail.com