Never To Advise Adolescents

Social Media Trends Affecting Teenagers 

#BoisLockerRoom, a sensational social media post which took toll on a class XII boy’s life in Gurugram, was no other than a quintessential of mob justice done by some teenagers. As #BoisLockerRoom unravelled, a 17-year-old girl shared on Instagram an alleged incident of sexual assault two years back. The boy, an aspiring class XII student, was trolled and humiliated as the girl’s post went viral and the same night i.e. May 4, 2020 he jumped from his 11th- floor flat in a DLF-5 condominium, Gurgaon.

This incident clearly shows the rampant use of social media and its vilest forms for cyber bullying by teens which is unfortunately quite common and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, lower self-esteem and tragically suicide. Trolling and online harassment took a young, precious life. How can social media disclosures be allowed without the burden of proof ? It’s really horrifying how teenagers abuse and harass their targets using social media platforms. Many innocents take extreme steps as they can’t face such humiliating situations.

                                                                         

These days children make confession groups on social media accounts to reveal their personal feelings for someone, failing to realize the consequences and understand how confessions can be ‘social’ or ‘public’? As the Gurugram incident reveals a life-threatening mindset of today’s teenagers that neither the boy nor the girl chose their parents to open up themselves and share their ordeal. The girl knocked the door of Social Media Court to seek quick justice rather than speaking to her family and the boy also didn’t prefer to talk to his parents but decided to kill him. The vulnerability of teens has become a grave issue and because of their impulsive natures, they are at risk of sharing intimate photos or highly personal stories which can result in being bullied or even blackmailed. The other big danger that comes from teenagers communicating more indirectly is that it has gotten easier to be cruel. “They text all sorts of things that you would never in a million years contemplate saying to anyone’s face.” says Dr. Donna Wick, a Clinical and Developmental Psychologist.

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Role of Parents:

A significant thing that every parent should concern about is to structure their psychological and emotional framework around the most fundamental fact that they are the most valuable living force for present as well as future.

 

Being a responsible parent it’s your duty to set reasonable limits for the usage of social media. Encourage a bedtime routine and keep all the cellphones and tablets out of teens’ bedrooms. Set an example by following these rules yourself as children don’t follow what is said, they follow what they observe. Let your teen know that you will be regularly monitoring his/her social media accounts and talk about your social media habits. Remind your teen that social media is full of unrealistic images. Teach your child that everything that glitters is not gold. Give them this assurance that their well-being is the only treasure of your life not their scholastic or co-scholastic achievements.

How Important Are You?

As the title suggests that this blog is not meant to advise adolescents; (I know you don’t like advices and preachy sentences😃) let me make it very clear that this blog is a message from society to all of you.

Dear Teenager, living joyfully and peacefully is not new to you. You were like that as a child, weren’t you? You were so happy and chirpy with the things and people around you. So I am not talking about taking you beyond, I am just talking about starting at the square one of your life. Why you have mortgaged your happiness, peace and love to the external situations? What if the mobile phone that you use is not as expensive and cool as your friends’? What if you haven’t scored as high as your classmates? What if your life is not as luxurious and lavish as your peers’? The most important thing is you are the best in your own way and you can create a loving world in every single activity that you do in your life. So, do what you want to do in your life, being in reverence with the life, being in love with your LIFE.