The young and the frustrated. .

Why the youth is frustrated

Let's take a moment and think about something.

When a country's crime rate goes high, who are the criminals ? It can't be the old folks , right ? I mean most of them can barely get to the grocery store let alone robbing  or shooting a pedestrian. And it''s certainly not the children either.
More than 50% of the criminals out there are YOUNG people. The YOUTH. When asked and interviewed, it turned out that most of these youngsters were either told to commit the crimes or were themselves responsible for their actions.

So the question is this : Why does a young person decide to take the risk of destroying their whole life spending it behind bars , at an age at which they should be the most positive about life and looking for opportunities to make their world a better place ? 

The answer is simple. They are frustrated. The fire that was supposed to make them energetic towards life is now burning it down.

Speaking as a part of this youth, I think I can number down some of the reasons WHY this happens. 

There are two categories in the young population of this country right now :

The students

The post-graduates

We will talk about both of them.

The Student : 

Being a student means that everyday you wake up and you go to your school or college or university with the aim that you will use the knowledge to make your life better as well as of those around you. But why is the student frustrated before he even leaves the nest ?

The Race

It's true that having a competitive attitude will bring out the most of you. Competition makes you work harder , it gives you the stimulus, the incentive to go the extra mile. But too much of everything is dangerous , isn't that right ?
If the child starts to feel like he is in a constant competition all the time , the poor little mind of his is going to be fatigued way before it should !
The struggle to be the best , to be the number 1 in everything because number 2 is just not good enough for their parents back at home , is not a healthy incentive for every child .

The labels that we put on children since the very first day he steps into school are all fun and games until they start turning into tattoos on their skin. "Mera beta doctor banega" is no longer an innocent wish of a parent. It's a necessity. An order. It's either this or nothing else . To make it up to their expectations , the child will have to compete . But not all minds are made for such a rough game. Not all children can wrestle through the crowd they don't want to be in. But they are consistently forced to. Not being able to cope with this competition makes them furious and frustrated.

The Education System

No matter how developed our institutions are and how updated our labs are, our overall education system still has the flaws that are a major contributor to frustration and stress in their students.

We can claim to be as liberal and open-minded as we like but the truth is that our educators are all about the numbers, whether its the marks their students can get or the money they can make later in life. "Doctor bano acha kamaogy" is the first bribe any teacher or adviser will give you. Very few educators out there are willing to tell you to do what you excel at. What you wish to do. What you are passionate about. The sad truth is that our education system simply does not accept talent- it wants the numbers !


                                     


Every human , every child is different. If we can realize the biological side of this fact, why it is so hard for people to realize the psychological side of it , I fail to understand. If educators realized how every mind is different and how every child has a different caliber and a different nature, we wouldn't need to put signs of  "maar nahi pyaar" outside schools and institutions.

The system has the same box for every child to fit in. Every child is treated the same way to MAKE them fit inside the box. The failure to be satisfied with this fact can lead to precious minds being confused and frustrated. 

The Comparisons

The worst thing ,and probably the most common, is comparing one individual to another, to make them feel like they are not enough. They will try REAL hard to be the best they can be and still be compared as if it's just not enough. It is the easiest way to not only frustrate the individual, but also make them repel you and the one they are being compared to.

The Post graduate :

Too many options, too little opportunities

It's a good thing that media and the society has brought up new and vast options of careers . It's no longer just doctors and engineers. There are vast field options in both the categories and others as well like arts , creativity and even media itself . Bloggers, consultants, motivational speakers, counselors -these are all now career options instead of just part time jobs and hobbies. But with too many options , comes a lot of confusion. What to choose, what not to choose, what will be the best for me as an individual, what will give me financial stability, what will give me further opportunities in life- it's a vast ocean of questions and confusions.

And even if one clears his mind and decides what he wants to do, when he goes ahead to fulfill his dreams, their aren't any easy opportunities for him out there. If the individual decides to open up a private business or create opportunities for himself, there isn't enough investment. Let me just get a loan , he thinks. BOOP ! Can't happen. Result? Frustration.

Desperate for recognition

The new generation is all about creativity. Bringing new talent into the market. Showing the world their capabilities. They want recognition. Appreciation. What they get , howevere, is a box. To fit in. Just like the rest of us out here. The voice is shushed and the talent is drowned, making way for more frustration.


Now that we've talked about the two major classes of youngsters individually, let's talk about some factors that affect them collectively .

Technology overuse

It is no surprise that social media depression is now a thing ! Looking at other people's digital lives can lead to a lot of comparing and depression and stress. Not being able to achieve what you see others achieve is a very common and very easy source of frustration. 

Lack of family time

Spending time with your peers can really keep you stress free and assured that you are loved and cared for. Spending less time with family members can result in isolation and a lot of stress to with-hold. This is unhealthy for the mind. Spending quality time with your family is essential for the mind to unwind ,take a step back and relax .

Injustice

When young people observe that no matter who walks all over them and does damage to them , there is nothing that can put them to justice, it creates a lot of helplessness and frustration in their minds. The unfairness of the society makes them feel like whatever they do doesn't make a difference because there is no one to appreciate them or help them if they have been wronged. 

Everything starts at home

It's true. Whatever it is inside your head , good or bad , it all starts from home. As i mentioned before, spending quality time with your supportive family is the THERAPY to a stressed young mind. To be around people who reassure you and understand you is probably one of the only things that keeps them going without being mentally exhausted. But if the family is not any of these things and instead is a source of constant negativity, it might do the opposite. And worse. 

Constant nagging is one of the problems that make kids run away from their families. And if they are a part of a broken family, it just adds a lot more to it. Parents fighting and arguing all the time isn't going to be a relaxing and soothing environment for the mind to unwind.  

Survival of the toughest

It all comes down to this. Be it education, job, career , sports , anything ! The common idea and the usual concept going on right now to compete compete and compete to be the number 1 even if it means pushing the others down, is horrendous ! Instead of supporting each other and working together to make a better community, we are being taught to be number 1 because that's the way to survive .And there's only one number 1 so the constant struggle to beat everyone else is not only unhealthy for others but also for yourself. 

It is the society that is making sources of frustration for the newer generations. It is our systems and the authorities that run them. It is us .
And then we have the audacity to ask "why is the youth so frustrated?"