We are Millenniam kids...

Dec 2016

I was asked to help a kid  to talk, express and share a few feelings of this new generation. Looking at the 14 yr old kid I was thinking what to write for her..? Her happy school days? Her interactions with family, friends ? The way they look at their parents? As I was thinking...it stuck me these kids are Millennium kids! They are far different from any one around. They may not even connect to others as people expect them to. Did any one see life in General, world in particular from their angle? So I wrote this article keeping the new gen in mind, ..!

·         On the threshold of the 16th year of the new century, here we stand with hopes ,fears and dreams – we are the new millennium's children, born in year  2000 and later in this 21 century.

·         A different century …,for  most of us unfortunately  we have no idea how growing up in the 1900s was like. WE are the millennium's first teens. Our arrival in the world roughly coincided with the dawn of the information age. The internet implosion, Google search, mobile phones, glitzy malls.., stuff that was not available even to our immediate predecessors, grown up barely a decade before us the late 1990.

·         Being in India we at least are aware of things like power failure, water scarcity, sanitation, traffic extremities, and bad roads. Whereas our counter parts from the rest of the world don’t know this aspect of life. We are the cool generation who see both our parents working, in most houses. Most of us have parents who talk in 2 different mother tongues. We don’t know what is class, caste, tribe or religion,. WE are very practical kids and we only know that God is one for us, even though we go to temples, mosques and churches with our parents. Most of us know only Wc s, happy in our flats/apartments, with or without gardens, and with or without pets. We comfort our parents as single children as well as share their responsibilities in the 2 children families.

·         Beyond thinking of becoming Engineers doctors or lawyers we aspire to be great scientists, or technologists, actors, sportsmen or even businessmen. Here you must have read about a teen who climbed Everest, another who is a microbiologist, yet another who has found the cure for a disease. You'll read about a child actress who tugs at heartstrings, and another teen You will hear a writer, who turns a spotlight on the troubles of being a 15-year-old!! WE all try to fit in somehow so that we won’t be branded rebellious. Going into new carriers of a nation's hopes. Teenage is no longer like a video game that we don’t know of, but more like Call of Duty.

·         We get shocked at some social issues like dowry deaths, female feticides, child and adult rapes and it saddens us. As kids we go to co educative schools, and friends with girls and boys alike.. WE also are treated equals in our schools. That’s why as kids the society as of now scares us. We don’t know about pre Independent era as we were born much later in an independent India. This progressive country unfortunately  seems to be in turbulent situations most of the times. when we see so much of crime around… words like corruption, power, politics, confuses us, and we wonder if government can take care of us and keep our families safe.

·               Ours is a generation that has seen a completely different picture of the world. And which has accordingly shaped our world view. You can call us a smarter generation largely due to our fascination or as some of you would even say obsession with technology.  Most of us played with gadgets like IPods, mobile phones ever since we were babies. That’s why scientists term us as a generation of 'digital natives’, who take to technology like fish to water. Some of the scholars were kind enough to say WE are a generation that has trained in a new kind of literacy, which involves technology extensively. For all of this 21 century kids information and technology are commodities, without which we may not able to handle our boredom or life in general

·            In spite of being in face book and twitter and such social websites by the age of 11-13  we have huge responsibilities.   This extreme restlessness is the hallmark of a generation that has to keep pace with fast-changing technology which, many say, is leaving them with seriously low attention-spans. Our teachers take the challenge in engaging us through lessons and activities that develop reflection, patience and sensitivity, which can balance our moods and behavior"!

·         It makes me very proud and happy to say we and our generation carries on its shoulders the hopes of an aspirational India.  WE are the carriers of a nation's hopes. Just like how we are trying to understand all of which is happening in front of us, which sometimes is overwhelming for us, we look upon you elders to understand us and guide us. You all and WE all want and have only one thing in our minds, and that is a safe and happy place for  every one. A bright future for all of us and a peaceful nation to live.