Students selecting books from their school library

Science has made a tremendous impact on human welfare. It has developed the world to near perfection with instant comforts. Nevertheless, people are not as happy as they should be. Their worries escalate daily and they end up in a state of depression. At present, this is the state of most of the children in Sri Lanka. Depression will be a leading cause of death in this decade. What can we do about this?

Globalisation and modernisation 

To a greater extent this is due to globalisation and modernisation, but are they the only causes? The root cause of the problem may be the way the students are brought up. Pampering them too much during their childhood may be the main reason for this crisis.

This is one aspect of my article andthe other is the respect shown by students to elders which is at its lowest level today.

Parents play a pivotal role in the upbringing of their children. They must act as  role models. They should mould their children to be good citizens.

Today both parents are busy either working or engaging in some trade while  the children spend their childhood at daycare centres.

The other aspect is children getting addicted to mobile phones. They use the device to play TV games or watch movies. As a result of losing their creative skills they do not perform well in studies and leave school as ‘failures’. When they are adults most of them get addicted to smoking and consuming alcohol.

It is never too late for corrective action by parents.

Parents should focus more on the education of their children.

They should instill family values in their children. Teachers have a major role to play in moulding the future of children. 

Time management

Time has to be used effectively and efficiently. Utilisation of time could be categorised as “Time Investment”(studying/working), “Time Spent” (traveling/speaking) and “Time Wastage”(idling/gossiping).

Hence, children should be taught to use  time for productive work that will help them to be useful citizens of the country.

In order to do this, one should have objectives and goals in life and they need to be smart and realistic.

When one has clear objectives in life he or she has less time to worry about or to be depressed.

If one wants to be happy, then he  should have a holistic approach to life.

In order to do this, he/she should focus on their  personal, family, work, social and spiritual life.

A balance between family and work life will help boost productivity. In life we may not get what we want immediately.

If you plant a seed you have to wait patiently till it takes root and grows to bear fruits one day.

Today many look for instant results.

Now that we have a new president and new administration, I propose that more attention is paid to help those suffering from depression and other psychological issues. 

While more wards are allocated for patients needing psychiatric treatment increasing the number of counseling centres in hospitals to prevent youth from getting into depression is crucial. The authorities could consider bridge  the communication gap in society with the support of communication specialists.

Role of the state

The education ministry should introduce “ ethics” and “values” as part of the school curriculum. Learning literature should be made compulsory in schools. 

Respect for mentors

It is paramount that students respect and follow the advice of parents and to avoid depression and lead a cheerful life. 

Be open to changes

Do not resist change. Doing so will lead to stress, anxiety and depression. Being open to changes will help boost growth in any sector.

Changes could take place in schools, workplace, society or the country. Let us together work to build a better future for our children.