Twitter
Advertisement

Not just tantrums!

From an ever-broadening communication gap between parents and teenagers to the rising distrust between couples, the Gen Z tell Ranjana Maria what concerns them most

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Am I doing the right thing? 

I'm mostly concerned with what my parents think of me and constantly worry about whether I am doing the right thing in life. I want to be an HR manager and achieving this career goal is of prime importance. I have seen my parents work really hard and often sacrifice a lot for me, so I want to do  well in life and provide for my parents and future family.
— Chriswell Rodrigues(17), Mumbai

Finding common ground with parents

Nowadays, all our conversations are based on tweets, television series, jokes, and movies that our parents often don't get because they are not as active on the internet as we are. There is this huge void when it comes to communicating with them because I can't find common ground to have a good conversation because they don't get puns and jokes. Also, when coversations have moved from actual human interaction to messaging friends. We often say things that we don't mean without feeling guilty about it and hurt people, as a result. This is also leading to an increasing number of introverts, who then don't know how to start or continue a conversation. Finally, as a girl living alone, and away from her family, in Mumbai I have think about spending money wisely.
—Rajsi Rajora (19), Mumbai 

Bullies in school

I am very concerned about those who get bullied in school. In the past, I've seen boys getting bullied and felt bad for them. But at that point, I was helpless; something must be done. Other than that, being good at academics, I've always wanted to do well in my 10th finals and hope to get into a good college.
—Pranav Sriram (15), Mumbai

Relationships have lost meaning

A growing concern is that relationships, today, are taken so lightly. I'm not even motivated to have girlfriend. I've seen friends date for years, investing so much time in a girl and then they break-up like nothing ever happened. This is just pathetic. And like any other student, my prime concern is attendance at college and getting those grades in. I want to be a broadcast journalist, but worry about whether it will allow me time for family, which to me is equally important. I've heard that broadcast journalists work for 11-12 hours at a stretch.
—Reubyn Coutinho (19), Mumbai

Education doesn't enable Einsteins

To the education system is problematic. We are expected to mug up answers without truly understanding concepts and practical application, especially mathematics. That makes it difficult to actually put the subject into practice and become inventors. Also today, parents are after their kids to complete education, irrespective of whether their child is passionate about what s/he is doing, which is wrong.
—Siddharth Mandala (17), Hyderabad

The dangers of Social Media

Social media applications like Instagram, expose teenagers to danger and make them emotionally challenged. There was a time when I never used social media, but as soon as I did, I noticed how random people make friends irrespective of whether they know each other. What's worse is that we're expected to share our personal details and personal life experiences with the other party, which is not cool at all. It's invasive of a person's personal space.”
—Megha Sharma (18), Ghaziabad 

Conservative parents, competing with quotas

What troubles me the most is how narrow-minded my parents are, making it tough to share my personal life with them. If I tell them what I'm going through, they don't understand and further restrict me to the confines of my home. Because of quotas and reservations, even though many of us are studying, we aren't able to get through to the colleges we want. As for relationships, the 'trust' factor is a big deal. My boyfriend is on the ship and because of social media, he often assumes I'm chatting with other boys, leading to fights. And as youngsters today like to chill at bars and eateries, you often fall short of pocket money. Today, I've become open to working part time just to pay my lifestyle bills, but getting a job is also a concern.”
—Chrisanne Fernandes (17), Mumbai

Parental control and career goal

My main preoccupation right now is about whether to become a cook or a game designer. My parents have forced me to take up engineering when I don't even like electronics; they are over-possessive and impose a lot of restrictions.
—Sai Surya Bharat (18), Hyderabad 

Caring for parents and relationship issues

My parent's health and well-being is my primary concern. Many teenagers today are too busy with their phones to care for their parents. And when it comes to relationships, social media creates a lot of misunderstandings, making couples lie to each other. There is absolutely no transparency.
—Kuber Dutt (19), Mumbai 

Dirtry jokes and lack of exposure 

Today there's no space for innocence. Earlier jokes and fun were clean and less murky. When it comes to education, students don't get proper guidance and often get pushed into doing something they don't really want to, messing up with their career goals. The right kind of guidance leads to better exposure and offers the person choice. For example, many take on engineering just because everyone's doing it.
—Sai Ganesh (17), Hyderabad

Growing up too soon

Today, unfortunately many teens take their parents for granted and try to grow up quickly — imitating adults in smoking and talking about life even before they have seen it, instead of enjoying the teenage years. Many of us dive into a relationships even though we're not stable and equipped for marriage.
—Vinayak Mehta (19), New Delhi 

Safety in trains

I have to town everyday, from my home in the suburbs and often stay back late during college fests. Many ladies compartments are kept open for men to enter post 10:30 pm. It's very annoying because crowds in these trains never reduce and safety while commuting becomes a concern. As for relationships, social media is a boon as your loved ones always knows where you are, but it's also an intrusion of a person's personal space, especially when you want 'me time'.”
—Jessica Jani (18), Mumbai 

Caring for parents, making good friends

My first priority is to provide my parents with whatever they need and take care of them. At this stage, no teenager is serious about love, but I believe that finding good and loyal friends is a challenge, especially finding those friends who will support you through life.
—Rextin Sutari (19), Mumbai

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement