When a Generation Breaks in Silence

The untold story of emotional collapse behind the rising tide of youth addiction in India

- Dr. Shahid Ali Khan

In every town and city, behind the closed doors of homes and hostel rooms, in the trace of laughter that fades too quickly, and in the silent companionship of screens that never sleep, a quiet tragedy unfolds.

It doesn’t trend. But it is growing. And it is devastating. We are a nation fixated on the what of addiction: what substances are being used, what new drugs are circulating and what laws can control them. But rarely do we ask why. Why does a young person in a college hostel in Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat or Bihar reach for a pill, a powder or a pipe? Why do they slip into something they know can ruin them? And why, even when surrounded by family, friends, and followers, do they feel so utterly alone?

Addiction today is not just a crisis of chemicals. It is a crisis of connection, of meaning, of presence. It is a symptom of emotional and spiritual fatigue that is gripping this generation. What we are witnessing is not just drug abuse; it is an epidemic of inner collapse.

We are living in an age that moves fast but feels hollow. According to a 2021 UNICEF report, globally, one in seven adolescents aged 10-19 is estimated to live with a diagnosed mental health disorder. Social media connects them to the world, yet leaves many feeling more isolated than ever. The speed of information may be exponential, but the depth of human connection is thinning. We scroll endlessly but rarely pause to truly feel. Young people today are more informed, more networked, and more exposed than any generation before them. But beneath that exposure is an invisible weight: the pressure to perform, to conform, to be constantly productive, constantly perfect, constantly “on.”