Cultural and social exhibition in the sub-continent, more specifically in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh has been a cauldron of hypocrisy. This boiling mixture of overly exaggerated values, confused cultural mores, discouraging stereotypes, and forced traditions have given the young people a reason to carp. To moan over their pitiable survival is all the young people have been taught. Accumulation of immense pressure to build careers as per the parent’s directions, create a work-life balance with unrealistic jobs-cum-studies hours, maintain personal and professional terms at large, and keep the family close and the stranger’s opinions closer, a life of absolute absurdity is imposed over a young pitiable soul.
Talking about our very own country, the socio-cultural pretense is rampant and very much widespread regardless of the modern rural-urban divide catchphrase. Pakistan is a diverse society with a multi-ethnic social system and cultural overlapping. In such a heterogeneous inhabitance with pretty much of young democracy (that is debatable whether Pakistan is even a democratic republic or a crippling sovereign of dynastic-monarchal dictatorship), the youth becomes the main targets of the withering criticisms as well as excessive hopes. However, these criticisms and hopes come at the extraordinary costs of uncertainties if not total humiliation.
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The young people of Pakistan are being deluded
Although multiple reasons can be linked up to such a disproportion the raison d’etre is the ostrich-like attitude of the Pakistani nation towards youth. In today’s date, young people are subjugated by the socio-cultural hypocrisy in the ways of i) toxic culture of considering young potential negligible, ii) over-possessiveness of family and peers, and iii) disapproving and exploitatory work culture.
It is not possible to discuss these in a single article but I would try the best of my ink in giving the readers a pithy overview. Firstly, the generation previous to the present youth-lot sees young people as naïve and irrational beings. This is because our society thinks practicality and maturity come with age and experience only. They see the present young people as a product of social media and praise those who are good with their grades only. Anyone not up to the traditionally set standards ends up in uncharted waters. Adding to this, the young person is of no use unless or until he or she is not up to making his parents proud with their traditional goals. You would come back to the squares one even if you become the POTUS and your parents wanted you to be a mid-career civil servant.
Similarly, the second aspect of Pakistan’s socio-cultural hypocrisy is the high demand for young individuals from their parents and peers for them to settle early even though one graduates from the university in a while. This comes with the over-possessiveness of family and peers who do not want you to work during the educational days and when one graduate, Fingers Snap! You must land a high-profile job or you are a mere disappointment. While one working during the university in odd jobs seems demeaning, the peer pressure never lets an individual become self-sufficient at all. This over possessive is not only lethal for a young one’s career but also causes repercussions on one’s mental and emotional health.
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The most important to an individual young person is the professional job sector
We would be focusing on the corporate sector because it is already pretty hard to find a place in the government sector that seems to be unprogressive, stagnant, and dubious to the masses. Corporate slavery in Pakistan is leveling up. The work experience pursuance in Pakistan is an inimical affair. Considering an internship and apprenticeship to be a gateway or stepping stone for one’s professional career, the organizations in Pakistan exploit the students and fresh graduates in the name of inconsiderable volunteered yet employed practice. Even paying merely an amount of some thousand is not a valid excuse.
Internships are professional working practices where young aspirants learn, implement, and practice their theoretical degrees. Internships are being offered by the corporate sectors in return for an illegible piece of experience certificate is a farce. Moving our focus to the workplaces, young people grow old at heart while working at minimal salary and unpopular providence. It is no doubt that there is various youth who are getting good jobs in skilled labor but while accessing the overall condition, Pakistani organizations stand nowhere in providing a work-life balanced, socially inclusive, and happy workplace.
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Now, the above-mentioned are just an inch of the miles of reasons that make the young person dispirited and disheartened. Young people in Pakistan have been processed and made to function in a way that the essence of nonconforming, questioning, or objection about conclusively anything becomes discourteous and an act of high treason. With all stated, it is imperative for the people whom young people look up to transfigure their thinking process. Change is inevitable and a change that can help young people to rise is indispensable. It is a point to ponder for our adults, elders, peers, colleagues, and managers to think about easing the lives of young people instead of making it an utter inferno. This will not only streamline the young people in achieving their goals with peace of mind but also would help strengthen the whole community.
The writer is an Islamabad-based political commentator and social critic with keen interests in the political-economic sphere, social order and philosophy. He can be reached at @Sarmadshahbaz01. The views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent Global Village Space’s editorial policy.