all who carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest”.
Rev. Pearlin Panneerselvam
Oḷi paṭaittha kaṇṇināi vā vā vā
Uṟuti koṇṭa ṉeñciṉāi vā vā vā
Siṟumai kaṇṭu ponkuvāi vā vā vā
Eḷimai kaṇṭu irankuvāi vā vā vā.
Iḷaiya bhāratattināi vā vā vā
Etirilā valattināi vā vā vā
Oḷiyiḻanta nāṭṭilēy- niṉṟēṟum
Utaya ñāyiroppa vā vā vā
This was a prayer song in many schools in Tamilnadu including the one that I studied in. I’m paraphrasing the aforementioned inspiring words of Mahakavi Bharathiyar, to say this — oh youth! come forth with a bright-eyed vision, with a steadfast heart, do not be quiet in the face of injustice, be compassionate, as the future of India, come forth as the sun that would fill this dark nation.
Respected late Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam held that the ignited minds of the youth is the most powerful resource on the Earth. He was convinced that the power of the youth, if properly directed, will bring about transformed humanity by meeting its challenges and bring peace and prosperity.
The Indian National Youth Policy of 2014 considers anyone between the age group of 15 and 29 years as youth hence the scope of this article considers the Gen Z’s as the youth of today. These pointers here will help us bear in mind the generation we’ll be talking about: The Baby Boomer Generation — born 1946–1964. Generation X — born 1965–1979. Millennials — born 1980–1994. Generation Z — born 1995–2012. Gen Alpha — born 2013–2025.
However, even after a century since the revolutionary poet’s invigorating songs and poems, decades after the scientist-president’s motivations to the youth, there are apprehensions that they still face today. This article is a humble attempt to identify a few of them.
1. Identity-crisis
“There are three extremely hard things: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self” said Benjamin Franklin. There comes a point in our lives where we try to find our true identities and that is not in what we study or the jobs we do or who we are inside the four walls of our house or how other people look at us.
Pop culture has thrived on this notion of ‘identity’. The question ‘Who am I ?’ is something that would always make someone introspect themself. Although the millennials have also grappled with the concept of ‘identity’, the current generation, the Gen Z’s, have taken it to a more serious level.
They want to know things, experience things, explore things. Young people have resorted to ways to live an altogether different life on social media. There are hundreds of thousands of fake profiles masquerading as someone they are not, to garner attention, to feel validated.
There is a constant need to be wanted, to be liked, to be popular. This has become one of the biggest reasons for young people to become anxious these days. Youngsters question their self-worth and turn to self-harming methods to cope with the anxiety that hits them.
They start looking for their identity in their relationships. In the family they are born in. But what happens when it is not what they had wanted or expected? There is a vacuum.
They start questioning their own character. They question their decision-making abilities. Sometimes there is also gender dysphoria. All these set them on a spin.
2. Increased screen time
Technological-boom in this century has given way to numerous devices and tools that have increased the time spent on virtual screens. We have seen softwares and applications that have ‘simplified’ our lives and/or caused us tremendous strife. Globalisation has literally made the world a ‘global village’. Anywhere and everywhere is reachable within just a few ’swipes’ or ‘scrolls’ away.
By ‘screens’ we are not just referring to mobile phones here; they also include computers/laptops, tablets, TVs . We have apps to give beauty tips, lose weight and become fit, apps to buy clothes, food, etc online, apps to read books, apps to play games just with your ownself or as a group/crew, apps to make friends with people from the other end of the world, apps that will let you date people from any country or continent, apps that have made life easier by helping us book tickets for travel or for movies, apps that have made it convenient for us to not go to the bank, apps that get us to watch full-length feature films without moving from the couch, apps to even monitor our sleep, heart rate and blood pressure.
As life got simplified, it got also complicated. There is a necessity that has been created, whether we like it or not, to carry the phone in our hands or pockets always , at least for our steps to be counted.
During and after Covid, we had no choice other than using the most-loved web conferencing tool, Zoom. Since it could be integrated into most common learning management systems (LMS) it became non-voluntary for even schools and colleges to rely on it when they had to close down. Thus, children in the school-going age groups, the Gen Alphas, also got access to mobile phones and tabs.
Churches which shunned the usage of social media, started using the same to do Live broadcasts of sermons. Every Tom, Dick and Harry started a YouTube channel on whatever they wanted to talk about. However nonsensical or absurd or obscene a channel is, there are still people who follow it and comment on it and are even subscribed to it.
Simply mindlessly scrolling through whatever social media has just become a normal habit now, particularly for the Gen Z. Mindless scrolling, more often than not, happens because of the underlying FOMO (fear of missing out). It has somehow been entrenched in our brains that we will miss out something very important or exceptional and keep scrolling without thinking and before long it is already 3 hours.
The usage of more screens is having detrimental effects on this generation and perpetual exposure to screens also increases depression and anxiety, sleep deprivation and increases the risk of heart diseases among many other adverse effects. People lose their cognitive ability due to excessive screen-time.
How many times have we seen children becoming disoriented using their mobile phones excessively! Young people have committed suicide for losing in virtual reality games played online!
Mooning on the phone is now a syndrome that has come to a place where people are seeking out therapists to help them get over the addiction. Yes! Sadly, the intemperate usage of mobile phones/ screens is now considered an addiction like smoking or drinking.
3. Mental Health
Mental health basically includes emotional, psychological and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception and behaviour. Furthermore, it ascertains how an individual handles stress, handles interpersonal relationships and handles making decisions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) conceptualises mental health as a “state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.
Mental health disorders range from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia, to personality disorders, to anxiety. Perhaps the most underestimated mental health conditions are depression and anxiety that have claimed lives silently. Thanks to Covid, it is now hard to find one single person whose mental health has not taken a hit in the last couple of years. Depression and anxiety are now considered to be the fastest growing diagnoses and have acute and varying ramifications. We have witnessed young people from doctors to actors who have succumbed to depression. Young lives ebb away without us even realising.
There could be sundry reasons for a person’s mental health to get affected. It could range from childhood trauma or abuse or neglect and sometimes even unforgiveness. And it cannot be ignored that Gen Z’s are finding it really onerous to handle depression. Some try to get over on their own. Some try to keep it within themself and think ‘sleeping over it’ will make it vanish. Some, in spite of their speaking up, would just get a ‘You’ll be okay’ kind of response. Some try various other things to ‘escape’ depression.
But the reality remains that mental health needs to be given utmost importance and attention. Neglecting it will have calamitous effects on not just the individual but also their future generations and that is a medically proven fact.
Conclusion
Life is never a cakewalk and the world offers various ways to decamp from these issues. To break away.
What young people miss when they go through an identity-crisis is their identity in Christ. Ephesians 1:3–14 has a list of who and what we are in Jesus — chosen by Him to be holy and blameless, predestined for adoption to son/daughtership.
Although there are practical ways to control the usage of screen time like keeping a track of it, etc, without self-discipline and that comes with the help of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul said that he “can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). That same Christ is ready and available to help us do things even when we are at our weakest.
One example of some one who was depressed and felt suicidal was the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament (1 Kings 19:4). So we are not alone here. And the Bible sure does have a solution for combating ill mental health too.
Jesus himself gave importance to mental health. He took a break when He had to. He retreated to the mountains or to the desert to have some quiet time (Matthew 14:12–13). He even encouraged His disciples to do so (Mark 6:29–32).
Sure, there are techniques that have helped millions of people around the world to manoeuvre these challenges, effective ways to steer your way through it. The works of psychiatrists and psychologists and teachers and caregivers cannot be undermined in any way.
Be that as it may, the best way to get over all this is to surrender to the one who said “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:29) after all, He was also a youth !
(Rev. Pearlin Panneerselvam worked in different fields from God TV to Compassion International. Currently handling the kids dept @ Our Daily Bread India. Passionate about children and storytelling. 1–0–1 coaching in public speaking, soft skills, Leadership Development. Translates for TV shows. An active Toastmaster. Hosting various events and programmes. Ordained Reverend under Anglican CSI.)
