The chat room: Youth have become tech-savvy but socially alienated'

Materialism, peer pressure to own all the coolest gadgets, constant negative feedback on social media: What makes a criminal out of an ostensibly peacable teenager? Dr Kiran Jeevan, Professor, St. Joseph’s College, Dr Vijayashri Ravi, Head, Department of Psychology, Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College and student Mayureema Barua talk to Ralph Alex Arakal about the recent kidnap and murder of 19-year-old Sharath by his childhood friend.

While the recent abduction and murder of the 19- year- old son of an Income Tax officer in the city was shocking enough,  the identity of one of his abductors proved to be even more astonishing as he happened to be one of  his closest friends.    

So what makes a criminal out of an ostensibly ordinary teenager?  Dr Kiran Jeevan, a professor of social work at St Joseph’s College, says he has observed three kinds of interpersonal relationships among teens on the campus over the years –  the service-oriented, the don’t-care and the materialistic. “A majority of teens now belong to the last category and this makes situations dangerous. Materialism linked with Western culture and the eagerness to own the latest gadgets is contributing to a cruel and out-of-control mindset among the young today,” he elaborates.

Nodding in agreement, Dr Vijayashri Ravi, head of the Department of Psychology at the  Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College, adds,  “A lack of self-esteem and the urge to do life experiments make young minds entirely unpredictable nowadays. An individual’s curiosity to know more about things and to become like somebody else along with failed parenting methods have led to the current situation.”

Constant negative feedback from social media and other sources in the absence of proper parenting also misleads the young, she believes.  Dr Jeevan interrupts to add,  “As young minds are vulnerable, a bad  circle of friends can tremendously affect their entire way of living. Alcohol and marijuana-related cases are booming on college campuses in the city and this is something we should all try to work against.”

Mayureema Barua, a postgraduate student from the city, explains that  youngsters, especially those staying away from home, are always in need of quick cash when living in a city like Bengaluru. “Banking issues, unexpected ailments, and extra expenses in and around college all create the need for quick money,” she maintains, going on to observe that “Beliefs like YOLO (You Live Only Once) and the addiction to social media have seriously affected the worldview of youngsters. Staying glued to phone notifications is preferred over turning to a classmate for a quick chat during recess.”

In complete agreement with her, Dr Vijayashree Ravi makes the point that, “Youth today  have become socially and emotionally alienated while getting smart and tech-savvy.”  Dr Jeevan too adds regretfully, “I see more students sitting alone with their phones during breaks rather than making  noise in groups like in the past.”   

Mayureema continues,  admitting, “The young have never been the best judge of character. As it is difficult to determine the real intentions of people I take time to understand them before opening up on my personal likes or dislikes and problems. A closer look at how a person deals with others and shares things about himself or herself helps me identify a true friend.”

The effective solution lies in  building a strong value system during the formative years of a child and then giving him or her the  independence in later years to  take decisions  with parents making only “safe interventions”  when needed, Dr Vijayashree Ravi concludes. “Emotional resilience can be developed only if they are allowed to fight their own battles to an extent,” she sums up as Dr Jeevan and Mayureema nod in agreement.