This generation will enter the workforce in the future years, yet little is known about their attributes, requirements, talents, and skills.
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Generation Z is an essential portion of the workforce today. This generation was born and reared in very different circumstances than previous generations. Caught up in their digital space questions regarding their social interactions remain unanswered. But who are these Gen Z? Have we ever wondered about their psychosocial spaces that are so personalised and, yes, digitalised. Incredible technological advances are shaping our modern reality, influencing our attitude towards community, governance, and forging new territories in learning. A new generation is evolving that is contextually aware and speak a digital language. This Generation Z learners are more technologically equipped than typical Generation X adults. The prototypical Generation Z individuals, often known as digital natives, was the first young generation into a worldwide digitally connected world and hence breathes technology. Generation Z depend on PC recordings rather than writing notes, are more likely to pose questions online, view lectures as entertainment, dislike waiting for an answer, and prefers rapid information and communication. Generation Zs' brains have grown linked to advanced, complicated visual storytelling.
Generation Z was grown up and nurtured with the online community that made them digitally oriented, and technology is now an extension of their identity. This generation will enter the workforce in the future years, yet little is known about their attributes, requirements, talents, and skills. They appear to have unique attitudes than prior generations. Without a thorough understanding of this generation societal institutions will struggle to engage and retain them in order to sustain their growth. It’s relevant that their mental health signs are understood at deeper levels by families, schools, colleges, peer groups, workforce and others.
According to a 2021 Global Governance Report stress was reported by over 83% of Indian Gen Z and Millennials, accompanied by anxiety (66.3%), body-image difficulties and related concerns (44%), and depression (43%). The advent of the COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of focusing on mental health more than ever before. The pandemic with its apprehensions and panic have not only aggravated their mental health difficulties, but have also exposed concomitant lack of understanding and services when it comes to these disorders. Despite the fact that this is a worldwide issue, the situation in India is alarming. With a younger generation and an increasingly competitive employment market, India ranked second on the World Health Organization's list of countries with the highest stress of disease for psychological concerns in 2018, ranking second in Depression and Anxiety-related disorders, and third in alcohol and substance use. To find long-term answers to this ever-growing problem, it is critical to examine the current gaps in awareness as well as the effective grievance procedures in place.
The report also showed that 150 million Indians required active interventions for mental health concerns (one or more), yet only 30 million sought help. Youngsters, particularly Generation Z and Millennials, confront unreasonably high levels of stress and sadness, which are believed to be consequences of discomfort and hopelessness stemming from a variety of problems that surround them on a daily basis. Anxiety and depression signs have been common among these adolescent age groups. Anxiety is a typical stress response while anxiety disorders are distinguished from typical sensations of uneasiness by the presence of excessive fear.
Anxiety is characterised by muscle tension and avoidance actions in relation to the anticipation of a future issue. Fear is a psychologically driven affective reaction to an impending threat and is more connected with a fight or flight response - either staying to fight or fleeing to avoid danger. Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders may strive to avoid circumstances that trigger or intensify their symptoms. Employment status, academics, and interpersonal relations might all suffer as a result. In order to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, a person's fear or anxiety must be out of proportion to the circumstances, limit one's ability to perform properly.
Learn to read the signs
Generalized anxiety disorder: This is characterised by persistent and excessive worry that disrupts daily activities. This continuous anxiety are accompanied by bodily symptoms such as restlessness, feeling tense or easily fatigued, difficulties concentrating, muscle tension, or sleeping issues. Worries about ordinary things like college, family, health, romantic relations, or little issues like housework, peer messages, or engagements are common.
Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks, an overwhelming combination of physiological and mental anguish, are the primary symptom of panic disorder. Several of these symptoms occur in tandem during an attack:
• Palpitations, pounding heart or rapid heart rate
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Feeling of shortness of breath or smothering sensations
• Chest pain
• Feeling dizzy, light-headed or faint
• Feeling of choking
• Numbness or tingling
• Chills or hot flashes
• Nausea or abdominal pains
• Feeling detached
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of dying
Because the symptoms are so intense, many individuals who have a panic attack mistake it for a heart attack or another life-threatening condition. Panic attacks can be predicted, such as in response to a dreaded object, or they can be unexpected, occurring seemingly out of nowhere. The average age of starting panic disorder is 20-24 years old. Panic attacks can occur alongside other mental illnesses such as depression or PTSD.
1. Phobias: A specific phobia is an abnormal and persistent dread of a specific object, place, or action that is not inherently dangerous. Individuals are aware that their dread is extreme, but they are unable to overcome it. These worries cause so much discomfort that outcome is avoidance. Examples include apprehension about public speaking, flight, and insects.
2. Agoraphobia: Agoraphobia is the fear of being in settings where escape may be complicated or humiliating, or where aid may be unavailable if panic symptoms occur. The fear is disproportionate, lasts six months or longer, and interferes with functioning. An individual suffering from agoraphobia feels fear in at least two of the following situations:
• Using public transportation
• Being in open spaces
• Being in enclosed places
• Standing in line or being in a crowd
• Being outside the home alone
3. Social Anxiety Disorder: A person suffering from social anxiety disorder is extremely concerned about being uncomfortable, disrespected and abandoned in social situations. Individuals who suffer from this illness would either attempt to avoid the circumstance or would undergo it with extreme anxiety. Extreme fear of public speaking, interacting with new individuals or eating/drinking in company are all common examples. Fear or anxiety impairs everyday performance for at least six months.
4. Separation Anxiety Disorder: Individuals suffering from separation anxiety disorder are extremely afraid or apprehensive about being separated from those to whom they are attached. The feeling is excessive for the individual's age, lasts for at least four weeks in children and six months in adults, and interferes with functioning. An individual suffering from separation anxiety disorder may be continually concerned about losing the person dearest to him or her, may be hesitant or unwilling to leave the house or sleep away from that person, or may have nightmares about separation. Physiological signs of distress are common in childhood, but they can persist into adulthood.
Thus, as older mentors to our adolescent gen Z population, its needed that we observe their signs. It’s easy to evaluate their time spent in social media, usage of gadgets and other unique actions. But with these we also have to become their peers in opening up forums within our families, schools and colleges or other spaces for them to fearlessly discuss their thoughts, feelings and actions. Many of our youngsters have lost their social skills within the online units of functioning. It has impacted their mental health and hence we all have to let them space out and redefine their potentials. The present generation is so aware and is fueled with dynamic strengths that are waiting to be nurtured and guided by their adult peers.
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