Must be teen dispirit: Students fail to handle embarrassment by parents

Recently, a 21-year-old girl from the city hung herself after her mother shouted at her in front of her friends. The student allegedly couldn’t handle the embarrassment and decided to take her life instead. Another 17-year-old took her life, because her parents did not buy her a cellphone! These cases make us wonder, are youngsters becoming too sensitive?

Youngsters have gotten used to being overly pampered. So when they don’t get what they want, they take drastic measures, out of sheer stubbornness! “If a small scolding caused this, how do we train and discipline our kids today?” questions Roshini Ahuja, a mother of two.

“We are only trying to guide them because we want the best for them and when parents realise that the child is doing something wrong, it’s perfectly okay to scold them. It’s a method tried and tested by our parents, and our generation turned out fine,” says a concerned mom.

Teens today need to understand that not every situation is a matter of life and death.  “We need to think about what we’re doing, before making a hasty decision. If the only option somebody has, is to kill themselves, they aren’t giving themselves an opportunity to become stronger,” says 17-year-old Juhi Kishore, a student.

So then, where does the problem lie? “Youngsters are overly sensitive. They think they are all knowing, so even when parents try to guide them, they become rebellious. Parents should also understand that they are still adolescents and don’t have the best decision making skills.

Instead of encouraging rebellious behaviour, parents should devote enough time to their kids, rather than pamper and spoil them,” advices Dr Nisha Khanna, a psychologist.