Vicious cycle

In another incident of juvenile delinquency, a 16-year-old has been accused of brutally murdering his mother and sister, with a cricket bat, a pair of scissors and a pizza cutter. The issue allegedly rose over the repeated reprimands the child was subject to due to his apathy towards studies and general distaste in life. The account of the incident yet again highlights the grave repercussions that can become the consequence of seemingly innocuous incidents. In India, we follow a mechanical system of finishing education, finding a job, getting married, giving birth to children, raising them and entrenching them in a similar mechanised life. The responsibilities and possible complications of the entire process are negated in the pursuit of simply fulfilling the prescribed roles assigned to us through the process of socialisation. Our world today isn't as simple as it was a few decades ago. The proliferation of television, cinema, digital media and unguided exposure to unwarranted viewing has made the process of rearing a child far more complex than it has so forth been. Amidst the rat race to outdo one another, succeed in the face of kin, and live up to construed standards of excellence, everyday living has become a daily struggle. For teenagers especially, this is a dangerous phase. With developing hormones and undying curiosity they are driven towards pursuits without adequately knowing how to achieve them. In this fast-paced world, it is difficult to accept that we are not the pinnacle—and this forms the basis for difference and conflict, giving birth to heinous tendencies and disruptive mental conditions. The 16-year-old boy from Noida killed his mother and sister in a fit of rage without cognizing its consequences. While we guide children, as days pass, it is becoming more imperative to enhance the teaching of parenting. It is not as simple as it was till a few decades ago. Life is not easy and we have to accept it while parallelly inculcating the same acceptance within our children. It is heartbreaking to see young children commit such heinous crimes simply because they have been swept away by the vagaries of modern life. It is important to meditate now on values without reprimanding ourselves for factors beyond our control. It is difficult to accept that one's child isn't as good as another's, but it is an acceptance that is essential to preserve the sanctity of the family and the equilibrium of the child's mind.