THE MODERN ERA AND WHAT GOOD IS LEFT IN IT.

 WHY AREN'T WE HAPPY? 

The cut-throat competition, the rat-race, the rich being too rich, the poor suffering through extreme poverty, the middle class having the burden of taxes, family issues and the list goes forever. The world is full of infinite, yes that is not a typo, infinite reasons to be sad. Everyone has their own issues and everyone is fighting their own battles. If a celebrity is going through something, a huge amount of people might know. If people like us, you and me, are suffering it might be known to a few or maybe even no one. That's simply the way things are! And yes, these never ending problems are the reason why most of us aren't happy.

If problems are the cause of sadness, is there a way that one can end them, like, forever?

No. The answer is a straight no. Okay, jokes apart but if you believe that, Don't. Whatever I am saying, maybe you have heard it a million times already. "Some problems aren't solved, you have to live with them" has become the catchphrase of every other motivational video on platforms, where people give you "Lessons of Life". Some of them are genuinely good but our topic here is not rating them. The only point being made here is that sometimes you really have to move on. Some problems aren't to be solved. Real life does not work like movies and the "some people move on, but not us" attitude can make you depressed. Now that we stumbled upon the word "depressed" (I intentionally placed the word here so that it would seem like a clever transition lol) let's get into the depressing situation of our world(another clever wordplay, not showing off, but yeah)

Depression, a major issue nowadays 

So, how is it that most of our generation(yeah I'm seventeen) is depressed even when our parents think that it's not possible for a teenager to be depressed? First of all, yes depression in teens is real. All the older groups have it too but according to a study, no age group over 25 has a depression rate higher than 10% but the younger groups have higher depression rates. Amongst all age groups, the group of age 16-19 has a depression rate of 15% making it the most affected by depression(and our parents said we're good for nothing, at least we won in the depression statistics! Yes, for anyone who's asking, its sarcasm).

1. Why are the teenagers depressed? 

Depression in teens proves to be the most toxic, it can affect their entire life! Now, moving on to the question. Why are teens depressed? There can be many answers to this question. But the biggest contributing factor is emotionally unsupportive parents. The body undergoes an insane amount of changes during the teenage years. A huge amount of chemical reactions taking place, hormonal changes and all that ultimately leads to emotional disturbances. Even the slightest of problems, setbacks and failiures can make a teenager sad, give them anxiety. This makes a person sad. And being sad for a long period of time, ultimately leads to depression. Here's where parents should play a role. Talk to them, comfort them, know what they want to be(instead of cough..forcing...cough them to be what you want them to be). These things help a lot, little happiness in their life and they won't be sad. 

2. Why are adults depressed? 

The biggest contributing factor here is, the unbalanced life, toxic work culture, not getting your dream job. Now, however, the adults don't have high numbers of depressed people, its still dangerous. The grownups are expected to be in their senses and handle their feelings themselves which is not at all fair. They're normal humans afterall, not superheroes with control over their feelings(I doubt if superheroes have control over their feelings, but whatever). You cannot expect anyone to not be sad when they're going through a phase, times of utmost difficulty. But if you're an adult and have issues, there are several helplines, therapists who can help you get over depression and you don't have to feel ashamed about it.

Where are the good things you promised us? 

Yeah I know I grabbed your attention by writing "What good is left in this era" but be patient, we are getting to them, one can't eat the dessert before dinner(well actually you can). 

Communities 

The best thing about these times is the ability to connect. Communities are a product of that. Just go on some social media site, Youtube and find the content you love. Join fanclubs of your favourite TV Series discuss whatever you want to with other fans and totally stan over some character you like. That gives you a feeling of connectedness and makes us feel that we're not alone in this afterall. Yeah I know these places can be toxic but if used in a proper way, then can make you more cheerful. Had a long day at work or school? Just look at some memes or that cute cat dancing to Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy"! The best thing about communities is that they are not rigid like societies. You can be a member of one society but communities? As much as you're interested in. That's because a person can have multiple interests and can find communities relating to that interest and it's a cool experience! 

Support Groups and Helplines 

Yes, someone cares. You're in depression, someone cares, you got physically or sexually abused, someone is going to be there. With all this modernizing and digitalising, the social network has grown stronger. If anything wrong happens to you, all you have to do is to post it somewhere, call a number and it will turn into a revolution. The process of getting justice was never so easy and never so quick. If the responsible people don't do something you can invite as many people to a protest and get justice. Governments, if they're wrong can be checked and this creates a feeling of unity and togetherness. Because all a person wants is someone who can stand with them through their tough times, if they're willing

Memes 

Yes, believe it or not but memes now play such an integral part in our daily lives that one won't even realize. People are now revealing their weak sides, their imperfections and that makes one feel that they're not alone who have the same problems. You will slowly and gradually learn to create humour out of your problems and trust me once you start doing that, you won't feel so bad about the situation. Ever wondered why horror-comedies aren't so scary, yes you guessed it right. Because of the comedy involved.

So, like the problems, if I start counting reasons to be happy, they'll be so many that it would make this blog boring. Just remember life isn't always like the Disney Movies, but if you get over your sadness, fear, hesitation and whatever's holding you back, you could sure turn your life into a Disney movie with happiness and thrill until you know, another problem A.K.A. the villain arrives. 

One easy trick or cheat which will help you is meditation. I'm not talking about entering a deep stage of meditation like the Buddha but just five minutes of closing your eyes,sitting back, relaxing and thinking about the scenic mountains can help. And yeah, don't do this when you've got work to do. We don't want to be the reason for your incomplete presentation, unfinished school-work or you sleeping during your exam. Finishing the blog with a video game reference,

This is Introverse Infinite going dark.

-Yash Vardhan Singh