As always, the younger generation is to blame. "They don't trust their elders , They think only they know everything , They don't listen to anybody's advice , They always suppose they have taken the right decision . . . . . blah blah . . . . .".
I don't beleive in their criticism of our capability to take our decisions ourselves. But, even if they are right - if we do need to consult our parents on all matters , it is no reason that there should be a 'Generation Gap'.
The problem does not lie in the fact that we prefer not to consult our parents in our decisions. It is in fact a product of the apparent curfew imposed in our homes since we enter teenage.
Though not formally spoken so, but it is understood that talking about friends of the opposite sex at home is not allowed. Its just an axiom. No one thinks about it anymore than that. To us, it doesn't matter if we are or aren't taking about things such as sex, relationships etc. at home. But, it does affect our parents big time. Frankly, i don't recall ever talking about sex to either parent.
You don't have to be an einstein to figure out that we do need to take advice about a lot of matters from our parents. They are the people who have guided us all our lives and we would love it if they continue doing so. But it is difficult talking to them about teenage matters, primarily because it is embarrassing initially. So, what we need is that parents themselves approach us to talk about sex. But that approach rarely comes.
So, the person searches for information from other sources - older friends, the internet, even teachers sometimes. As a result, this topic becomes a taboo at home and so do all topics gradually.
Then comes the time when our parents start blaming us for not talking to them, not sharing anything etc. This gives birth to the Generation Gap. The funny thing is that there always has been a generation gap but it was defined differently earlier. It used to be only about ideas about liberty, older generation not being good with technology etc. But only now has it taken on a meaning of lack of communication between parents and their children.
Even if a brave soul crosses the frontier and starts a conversation about some friend of the opposite sex, he or she will be met with such apparent hostility that he or she won't try to start a conversation regarding the matter ever again. The typical response from the parent would be something like "don't put your mind on these matters , just concentrate on studies". What the Hell ? Aren't students human ? Don't we feel the same way as grown ups do ? So how come we sacrifice our human instincts and take on those of machines ? A possible response will also be " we don't mind if you have friends of the opposite sex, but what will our neighbours say. . . .blah blah. . . . .". Well, if it doesn't matter to you then why should it matter what others think ? Excuses to stay in the old school of thought and imagine that everything is perfect.
In this it is not our parents' fault. Their only mistake is that they are bound by the shackles of the society. And the social inertia is such that our society is still stuck on the levels of liberty as they were fifty years ago in most matters. Its root cause might even be in our long born tradition of listening to our elders. Elders are most likely to have a more conservative view of life. Among all this, people like Muthalik and Thackeray reign and succeed unfortunately in taking our thought back to the stone ages in the name of culture and tradition.
So, we are seeing an increase in "Generation Gap". This supposed gap will keep on widening unless our viewpoint towards life changes and we stop criticising "Western Culture" and embrace its liberties. It might even provide a cure to many of our social problems like rapes, teenage pregnancies, eve-teasing etc.
My message to our elders : "Wake Up and open up your minds"
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