As the world becomes technologically advanced, the young generation throughout the globe continues to become vulnerable to social evils, thereby giving challenge to parents, pertaining to care of wards.
With each passing day, the youth get derailed and indulge themselves in various illegal/immoral activities, which has become a matter of grave concern, and should be taken into consideration.
If we talk about Kashmir, apart from other social evils, the drug related activities are day by day increasing, thereby giving challenge to each and every responsible citizen of our society. As per the official data, the valley has witnessed ‘rise in drug related cases’, in past few years, with patients ‘seeking treatment’ for substance abuse in different hospitals across Kashmir.
Keeping in view all this, it is quite obvious that parents can play a vital role in controlling the growing drug menace, by ensuring proper parental care from childhood to adulthood stage of individuals.
These days, most of the parents provide more and more facilities to their children, which is not a bad thing, but giving them more than requirement is quite alarming, as youth in adolescence stage (age group from 10-19) misuse things, which bring negative results ultimately.
The behaviour of individuals mainly depend on three things, viz. family, society, and company; which yet again clarifies that role of parents is quite mandatory. We should try to impart moral education among the youngsters, particularly in adolescence stage, as this age is considered as the age of stress and strain, and can bring a greater impact on one’s behaviour.
Parents, irrespective of their status, position, place, and other things, should keep vigil on their wards, and should never let them involve in any kind of illegal or immoral activities. They should also ensure that their wards are using cell phones and other electronic gadgets ethically, as excessive use of smart phones usually impacts health system of children, which need to be taken care of.
As the online education began in Kashmir, teenagers have over used cellphones, and have joined social media sites other than online classes, which made them addicted to it, day by day. However, this trend was not understood by majority of parents, due to which students continued to use smart phones and social media, which extended their interests and contacts, even after the end of online classes. This all gives us idea that responsibility of parents is quite important in managing the day to day activities of children, so that growing social evils, immoral activities, drug abuse, and other menaces can be eradicated.
Besides all that, people at area level committees, teachers and religious scholars, should also play their role by creating awareness among people about the ill effects of drug abuse and other social evils.
Back to back steps, to eradicate drug and other illegal activities, should be ensured in the form of awareness programmes at schools, colleges, and other govt and non governmental institutions, while religious and moral education should be given to children from their childhood.
In schools, higher secondaries and colleges, extra curricular activities should be organised frequently, so that physical, mental and moral setup of youngsters can be developed, which will keep them away from social evils, particularly drug abuse.
Most importantly, parents should never force their wards in choosing the field of their choice, as many of the youngsters lose interest in things, after they are being forcibly dragged into the professions, which don’t suit them.
To conclude, I can say that we all have to work together to save our young generation from the social evils, specifically from drugs, as it has taken catastrophic proportions.
Basharat Rashid is a freelance Journalist, based in Kashmir
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.