The Taciturn Crisis
By Zulfiqar Ali Ishaq
Society is a collection of individuals living together and having shared ways of life, values, norms, and traditions. This collection hence creates a culture—a way of life intended for solving certain problems—and it is comprised of the non-material traits such as values and norms, as well as material traits such as institutions created from these founding beliefs in order to address challenges that exist. Every society forms its own culture since every society is presented with its own set of unique challenges. Also, the culture is not static but rather reacts to the challenges. Philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Ibn Khaldun, and Auguste Comte were engaged in the establishment of an ideal society which is impossible because societies, facing different challenges, formulate cultures of their own to deal with them.
Moreover individuals within a society learn and acquire attitudes, a process known as socialization. However, life is not a static; it is dynamic: a time comes when new attitudes have to be learnt to meet new emerging problems. Here, socialization agents such as the family—an agent of informal socialization, socializing people somewhat unintentionally—and education, a formal agent of socialization that programs individuals purposefully, come into play. The workplace and the state are also included; the latter has the duty to orient the formal agents of socialization in such a way that individuals can be prepared for new challenges. There was the family alone –socializing agent- in agricultural societies and this led to homogeneity and fewer conflicts because there were fewer deviations. Nowadays, there are several socializing agents: family, education, religion, and increasingly social media. This diversity increased the possibility of deviations, generating generational gaps. Most traditional social thinkers often end up complaining that young people have become antisocial and have diverted from channels that were previously set and formed while they no longer are suitable for the new world.
Today’s deviances -were considered the adoption of behaviors unacceptable to some members of the society- is typically a form of reaction by these members. Deviance, however, is relative. For example, driving by women in North Waziristan may be attributed to deviancy, while it is a norm in Islamabad. Psychological aspects are among the many factors that lead to social deviance. The most prevalent one is mental health disorders. These are issues related to the environment’s supportiveness concerning livelihood, education, health, and opportunities. Where equity becomes absent, the chances of abrupt deviance increase. Merton’s Strain Theory postulates that people have often been observed to aspire to those roles which society holds in great regard. . With social media in place in modern times, these influences are sped up, and individuals aspire to those popular figures that society or the family view as commendable. For instance if businesspeople are lauded, then one may aspire to entrepreneurship; if government jobs are prioritized, then one follows suit, without much creative thinking.
In Pakistan, the youth are affected by a plethora of mental health disorders based on anxiety due to economic pressures, academic burdens, uncertainty about the future, and generational gaps. In addition, getting treatment for mental health is regarded as a sign of weakness. Research shows that more than 60% of the population of Pakistan is suffering from stress, anxiety, or depression, especially young people which lead to social detachment. Dr. Nargis Asad, an Associate Prof. in Psychiatry at AKU said, social media is a major contributor to depression among youth, and education on responsible smartphone use—and more offline activities and engagements—are imperative to bridge generational divides.
Statistics indicate that one in five people in Pakistan, including children and adolescents, has a psychological disorder, while over 75% receive no treatment. The WHO estimates that as many as 80,000 people globally had taken their own lives back in 2019, with around 18,000 in Pakistan alone. Durkheim’s Theory of Suicide stress that anomic suicide happens when there are radical social or political structural changes or economic revolutions while egoistic suicide is as a result of an individual feeling socially isolated.
These types of divergent experiences range from Generation Z—people born between 1997 and 2012—and their mostly Generation X parents, born between 1965 and 1980, which make them very different in many ways, contributing to generational divides. While it was expected that Generation Z would fare quite well in terms of finance, occurrences such as the COVID-19 pandemic and political turmoil, like the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and unrest in the Middle East, have risen to make the future of these generations appear quite bleak. The fast rate of technological development, cataloging different experiences as well as shifting norms has worked to increase the gap between these generations. For instance, social isolation has become an evil necessity for survival in these modern times, whereas parents may view solitude or isolation as a yardstick for adherence to an archaic norm that may cause more harm than good unwittingly. All those children who fail to live up to the standards of today’s society will feel the pinch and slam themselves up in a corner, mute, and even more reclusive at the expense of their mental health. Parents rather try to break the divide between the generations by aligning themselves with the current trends and assisting children to perform to the maximum within the current setting. If necessary, they must resort to psychological intervention- breaking social barrier and stigma so that there is a free flow of communication regarding mental health issues. Good parenting involves not only taking care of physical needs but also the mental and emotional aspects—a lack in which may turn both parents and children depressed.
Last but not the least; depression is among the biggest causes for addiction in youths of the present generation is because people get less attention over mental toughness. In fact, allowing courage, creativity, and bold decisions even in the face of mistakes will lead to the growth of a courageous, ambitious and independent generation. Only then will a country retain resolute resilience, autonomy, and independence with the proper involvement of empowered, independent youths.
