Youth, Water and Signs, The Culture of Safety Must Be Constructed While Still There Is Time

The drowning of youths in the calm yet treacherous waters of River Jehlum is slowly fading into a rather sinister headline. Its flow that looks placid hides a tragedy not born just of nature's wrath, but rather, society's failure to acknowledge the warning signs before it is too late. These incidents are not sporadic they mirror an enduring problem a negligence of parents, apathy of society and misinterpretation of youth's independence.

- MUKHTAR AHMAD QURESHI

Freedom has taken a new meaning in the present world. The youth demand their freedom, while the parents grant it. Yet in granting freedom, there arises an absence of the most important factor responsibility. Somewhere in this space between freedom and responsibility lies the seed of tragedy.

The Science of Habits and Behavior.

Psychological studies substantiate that, by the age of 18, almost all personality traits and behavioral patterns whether positive or negative are set and crystalized in habits that provide a permanent imprint positive or negative on adult behavior. How a child learns to handle pressure, make decisions or evaluate risk is so much defined during the formative years.

Such children are more likely to carry into adulthood skewed notions such as being assertive means having one's way all the time or that any disagreement of a parent amounts to oppression. And that's where trouble begins not just for the child, but also for the family and indeed for all the communities.

The Fragile Line of Independence.

Today's youth face a plethora of choices, temp-

When youth dances by the water unaware of the depths it is not freedom but a fragile illusion. A culture of safety must be built not after loss but before regret becomes routine

tations and information. Social media glamourizes unregulated lifestyles. Peer circles endorse risky behaviors as adventures. At some point between admiration and the fear of rebellion, many parents relinquish control, equating unrestricted freedom with love.