The buck stops in the 20s!

The buck stops in the 20s!

Tweens hurry to be teens, teens rush to be mature, while 20-somethings battle a quarter life crisis, says Indrani Rajkhowa Banerjee

TIMES NEWS NETWORK


ITS been a few months since Ashim Sharma felt that sinking feeling he couldnt explain. Hed feel a tightening around his chest, a churn in his stomach, violent mood swings and a need to cry! Was it a cardiac arrest No, its quarter life crisis, said his doctor.
At 29, Ashim had a well paying job, a luxury sedan and his own apartment. How could I be unhappy he cries. But, it took him time to realise that it was the tearing hurry to achieve his happiness quotient that was causing feelings of emptiness and self-doubt . At times, he simply wanted to give it all up and go back to his college days.
Though not an illness, a quarter life crisis can be called an adjustment disorder in an increasingly competitive world. Everywhere you see, its youngsters in their early 20s like Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Shahid Kapur, Deepika Padukone, Genelia DSouza , Sania Mirza, M S Dhoni and so many others who are earning what a celebrity of yesteryear would have just dreamt of.
As a young boy, cricket icon M S Dhoni believed if he could just make Rs 30 lakh, he would be assured of a decent living. Today, this cricketing icon from a middle-class family has exceeded that target by a few zeroes! He loves bikes, and has over 15 in a special room! Adman Prahlad Kakkar reasons, These young celebs earn unimaginable amounts for every project and endorsement deal. From luxury villas to custom-made cars, they have it all. They are the beenthere-donethat generation . But wisdom to handle pressure comes only with age and not money.
Take Sourabhee Devvarma, the 23-year-old first female winner of Indian Idol. At one point of time, Rs 15,000 was enough for this girl from Tripura to lead a happy life . Today, her monthly earning exceeds what elders in her family earn per year. Im lucky to have been able to earn so much, so early in life. But I do get nostalgic about the carefree days of the early years, miss my friends and at times feel that maybe success isnt so great after all, she laments.
In a highly competitive world, there may be hundreds of such youngsters alone, insecure, stressed nostalgic and frustrated with life, work and relationships. Doctor Sanjay Pattanayak, psychiatrist with Vimhans, says, Life for our parents was structured. They had guidelines which they adhered to when to apply for a job, when to marry, when to buy the dream house... Today, a 25-year-old has everything that his dad would have dreamt of acquiring at 60! They mature in the material sense but mentally and emotionally they are stuck in a time warp. For a generation on autopilot , burnout is inevitable . This is a generation of extremes and the crisis is a product of our times. Either they get burnout or they dont move in life. According to psychologist Rakhi Anand, Youngsters dont believe in taking the stairs . They prefer the elevator to reach their goals. But there are some who do the balancing act. Maybe, this is why we hear stories of IIT, IIM graduates who stay in the rat race and yet pursue their hearts calling. The mantra is to keep oneself grounded, says model Bharat Kundra. So, why not teach those slum kids on a Sunday It doesnt cost much!