JOIN USThe great Indian generation gap
Parenting is no mean feat and most parents these days find it hard to adjust to the changes in the outlook of their young ones as opposed to the jarring conventional wisdom.
The older generation worked on a very basic model where they found happiness in materialistic success. An entire lifetime was dedicated in hoarding the simple roti, kapada aur makaan.
The young today, however, already have everything served on a platter. With financial qualms in the back-burner and highly individualistic views, their quest in life is about finding joy by pursuing their dreams.
This paradigm shift in thought has led to immense friction between parents and kids.
‘Dreams Vs Money’ is what the younger generation battles with, as it receives no support from parents, who term the very idea as madness.
Bharath Naidu faced a similar situation recently where, after pursuing a three-year-degree of Bachelors in Computer Applications, he decided to choose interior designing as a career.
“Initially, my parents were not at all supportive and it did lead to a lot of arguments at home. But my parents also happen to be very broadminded. They are both working and are aware of the fact that making money is not that tough a prospect as there are immense opportunities. In my case, I must confess it was comparatively easy to convince them but most people are not so lucky and end up compromising on their dreams,” he added.
Vijaylakshmi and Subramanya Naidu, Bharath’s parents said that financially, they are still not supporting him as they want him to learn the hard way.
“We have never been the kind of parents who force their ideas onto their kids. Our son is highly independent and will have a future in anything he pursues,” they say. Pooja Rao, a final year engineering student, has a different tale.
She says, “I never wanted to pursue engineering. Given a choice, I would have taken up psychology. I wasn’t even allowed to pick the stream of my choice. I wanted to take up civil engineering but was forced into information science by my parents.”
However, she also adds she has no regrets and does not blame her parents as things are working out for her.
Chandni Venkataraman, another engineering student, has already convinced her parents that she will not do a regular technical job after engineering. “I am just buying time for myself with engineering to figure out what I want to do. My parents want me to have a basic degree and this is just that,” she added.
Changing times imply changing outlooks. Parents and kids seem to have found a way to overcome fundamental differences and find a common ground to agree upon.