Anxiety is the state of feeling worried, insecure and nervous about future and uncertain situations. It may work as a motivating factor for some while to the other segment of the population, it is a serious health issue. According to Psychology Today, millennials are reporting the highest levels of clinical anxiety, stress, and depression than any other generation at the same age. Having grown up in a competitive era where technology and rest of the world are developing at such a rapid pace, the millennials have an indispensable urge to prove themselves and keep up with their fast-moving surrounding. Also, bad sleep habits, excessive use of phones, bad work-life balance, multitasking, etc. have caused this generation to act more stressful and anxious.
In the Western context, the millennials are often generalized as lazy and narcissistic people. If you google images for millennial you will see lots of memes criticizing the generation. However, in the Nepalese context, millennials are seen as driven people and a lot is expected out of them. They are seen as agents of change. There are millennials like Binod Shahi, Founder of Snow Yak Foundation who lives in the rural Dolpa for six months to teach the children there and during the other six months, he is engaged in raising funds for the following year. There are also Sitaram Kattel and Kunjana Ghimire of Dhurmus-Suntali foundation who are working to resettle the earthquake victims who lost their family and house during the earthquake. These millennials are working towards better future of the nation and are influencing change, and there are much more like them. However, there are also other millennials who are still working hard to make an identity.
‘I feel down sometimes when I see people my age as entrepreneurs and businessmen. I feel like I am lagging behind and won’t be able to keep up with them. I think I’m inferior to them in some way and lose confidence in my own ability and skills,’ says a 2nd-year student studying Bachelors in Social Work at K&K International College.
A 23-year-old Nepalese student currently living in Australia says, ‘I came to Australia to pursue better education but things have not gone as I planned. I have to earn the college fees myself, but when I get back from work I am always exhausted. After working for 9-12 hours a day, I don’t have enough strength and energy to study. Some days I want to come back to Nepal and start a restaurant of my own, but then I think of my relatives and society. I feel like answering and explaining to them why I returned without completing my education will be more exhausting than my work here.’
Among many problems that Nepali millennials face, maintaining their social life and family relations is yet another challenge. Many of youths today were raised in traditional Nepali culture that we have learned from our families and society is a part of who we are. The guidance and support from our family has helped us get through hard times in life. Despite these facts, we often get into arguments with our parents. Sometimes it is because of our generation gap and sometimes it is because of our difference in ideologies. We, youngsters, are influenced by western culture and are usually more open-minded and rebellious in nature than our parents. So, we sometimes have a problem accepting the way of the society and often have difficulty getting along with their family members.
In spite of the difficulties and challenges they are facing, today’s generation is looking forward and moving towards their dream. They stumble and fall on their journey to success but they are still optimistic and hopeful. There are many instances where they have overcome their challenges and thrived in their respective field. The Nepalese millennials are motivated and striving to turn their life struggles into success stories. This is the generation that can change the future of the nation. With many of the Nepalese youths starting to come back to their country after completing their studies in a foreign land, the future of Nepal looks hopeful.
By: Jyoti Pokharel
