Gen Zs Vs Baby Boomers Face-off - Mental Health Edition

One thing I love about the concept of perspectives and life in general is how, even though we are the same, we are also very different. Everyone around us has seen the same things but from a different perspective. For instance, consider how us Gen-Zs view mental health today. Do you think this was the same for our parents, the famous Baby Boomers, when they were growing up? It’s incredible how no two people think exactly alike! Okay, I’ll admit, these midnight thoughts are hitting me hard, but jokes aside—are you all ready to witness a heated debate between a typical Gen-Z main character and a very timid Baby Boomer? Please say yes, everyone! We, your hosts for tonight, worked hard to get both of our participants—Mr. Rahul and Seema aunty.

(The contestants enter from both aisles, while the crowd cheers in excitement and anticipation on the other side). "So, Seema aunty, are you ready for this challenge?" asks Rahul. Seema Aunty chuckles at his question. "I was born ready, little guy." With that, the screen opposite them poses the first question: "What’s/was the whole deal about mental health in both of your respective generations?"

Rahul starts off by saying, "As I am representing my generation, I feel glad that after the COVID-19 pandemic and certain incidents that occurred around the same time, such as Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, the conversations about mental health has increased for the better. However, people these days are hyper aware of mental health concerns, and they have started using it casually but incorrectly. Now instead of saying ‘I am sad’ or ‘I feel low’ they say ‘I am so depressed’. Where they should say ‘I am a cleanliness fanatic’, they say ‘I am such an OCD’.”

Seema Aunty supports his sentiments and expresses her viewpoint. "Well, Rahul you see, in my generation, mental health was considered a taboo. People with any problems were usually taken to religious institutions for immediate help. I grew up in a very strict, orthodox household, so I thought that was normal. Whenever we experienced anything negative, we were either told to forget about it and move on, or were encouraged to share it with our family. In my case, I found it easier to share with my parents because they were somewhat understanding." Understanding Seema Aunty's perspective, Rahul aimed to turn the conversation into an informative discussion rather than an argument.

Question 2: "What are your thoughts on the current mental health support systems?" 

Seema Aunty shared her views “Personally for my generation, we were never taught or even made aware of mental health, anxiety or OCD or even depression. So even if those symptoms were present in someone, we were supposed to continue our regular chores no matter how we  felt that day. But family and friends always helped. Especially my mom! She would always lend an ear to listen to our problems. Apart from that, growing up in a close-knit family, someone or the other was always there to help us out. We also got gentle nudges during the slow afternoon hours from our friends in the right direction. " 

Rahul agrees with her but still presents his views by voicing out- “I couldn’t agree more, aunty. As they say, everything has its pros and cons. Even though my generation is well versed in almost everything, including technology, and there is so much resource available,  we at the same time are always preoccupied with a fast-paced lifestyle. It is very difficult for us to be connected to our parents or even peers. Which in the end makes us pile up all of our problems and then get burnt out. This is not the case for everyone out there, but most of us find it hard to connect to our parents or even peers anymore.”

As a fellow spectator and being very much part of the GenZ generation, I find it absolutely fascinating how "mental health" is an ever-growing field. It's heartwarming to see people reaching out to professionals to feel better. Whether you're actively engaged or simply watching from the sidelines, let's all give a huge "HOORAY" (cue the audience screaming in excitement) for taking the time to care for our well-being! And to you, yes, you reading this post, go ahead and give yourself a little "HOORAY" and a pat on the back because "you deserve it, you beautiful human bean."

*PHEW* This discussion was quite a roller coaster, with both the younger and older generation sharing their diverse ideas about mental health. Now we finally have the last question of the day-“If you could tell your younger self one thing when they were going through a tough time, what would it be?”

Rahul said, “I would tell them that they are not alone and it's never too late to seek the help they need, and it’s always ok to set good boundaries and cut off the people that are only hurting you” After hearing Rahul, Seema added, “Well, almost similar to what Rahul said, I would tell my younger self to take care of herself, and also, spend more time with mom and dad.” 

It's amazing how a face-off turned into a great discussion, right? Seeing how similar yet different these generations are is really fascinating. I'm really happy about how much importance mental health is getting - it truly deserves it.  So what say Seema aunty and Rahul, “let’s break this mental health stigma together, shall we”?  Both of them nod in agreement.