Society must create peaceful environments where children can express themselves openly and fight their hidden fears
Syed Mustafa Ahmad
Fear has always been part of human life. Even brave people experience fear. Some fears are visible, while others remain hidden. Both types can cause serious problems and prevent people from enjoying life. Natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and storms create fear. Accidents and death also frighten people. However, modern times have brought new kinds of fears that earlier generations never faced.
Today, people live close to each other but remain emotionally distant. This emotional distance creates fear. Students are especially affected because they lack life experience and cannot always understand situations clearly. They become easily overwhelmed by fears. Working in a private coaching institute for many years, I have observed various anxieties in children. This article discusses those observations, the reasons behind student fears, and what we can do to help.
Common Fears Found In Students
During my work with students, I noticed many hidden fears:
· Fear of strangers
· Fear of ghosts
· Fear of loss and failure
· Fear of loud noises
· Fear of mobile phone ringing
· Fear of humiliation
· Fear of not achieving success
· Fear of walking on roads
· Fear of adults
· Fear of disappointing society
· Fear of talking to other students at school
· Fear of relatives
· Fear of losing friends on social media
· Fear of phone battery dying
· Fear of being away from mobile phones
These fears slowly damage students from the inside. They affect how students think, feel, and behave. Some fears are small, but others become so serious that they harm students’ lives.
Why Do These Fears Exist?
1. Pressure Of Competitive Exams
The biggest reason for student fear is the crazy competition in education. Students face constant pressure to perform well in exams. They worry about failure and humiliation. This pressure destroys their peace of mind.
A recent example shows how serious this problem has become. A twenty-eight-year-old man killed himself after failing a competitive exam. He could not handle the shame and disappointment. He was probably afraid to face himself and others. This tragic case makes us ask: Are competitive exams really worth this price? When students live like wheat crushed between two millstones, fear naturally grows inside them.
2. Negative Effects Of Technology
Technology has changed how students connect with others. They now care more about virtual relationships than real ones. These online relationships lack true emotions and feelings. Selfishness often replaces genuine care in these connections.
When virtual relationships break, students feel lost and alone. Different fears attack them. They cannot think clearly and sink deeper into anxiety. Their heartbeats become faster, and the light fades from their eyes. Sadness takes over their lives. False relationships replace real ones and create nothing but trouble.
3. Internet And Social Media
The internet and social media have both good and bad sides. Unfortunately, students face more negative effects than positive ones. They grow up too fast and learn about things before they are ready. Psychologists call this “untimely exposure,” and it is very dangerous.
Experts say that when children face things that can hurt their emotions before the right age, fear and restlessness follow. Students see perfect lives on social media and feel bad about their own lives. They worry about being left out or forgotten. These feelings create deep anxiety.
4. Chaotic Environment
We create our own environment, and we have made it full of chaos. Unnecessary traditions and useless customs surround students. They feel suffocated from inside. When a student tries to live life their own way, they face many obstacles. Some students start thinking too much about everything. Others stop thinking completely. Both responses lead to destruction. In this environment, fear grows everywhere, and students’ foundations shake.
What Should We Do?
Everyone Must Help
Protecting students from these fears requires effort from everyone. We must take complete care of them. Students are young and inexperienced. They do not understand the details of life. Creating a complete system to help them has become very important.
Listen To Students
We need a system where every student, young or old, can fight their hidden fears. Children should feel free to talk about their anxieties openly. We must avoid pressure and bullying. Instead, we should develop the habit of listening carefully to children, whether their concerns seem reasonable or not.
Understand Their Loneliness
When a child feels alone in a crowd, the fear of everyone grows in their heart. They may even start hating relatives. This happens because they think, “If my own people don’t understand me, who will?” When students hear their personal matters discussed by others, hidden fear takes root.
Role Of Society And Government
Wise people in society and the government must work to change the chaotic environment into a peaceful one. From home to school, we need actions that remove fear and make life easier to live. Taking help from experienced counsellors and psychologists is now necessary.
Local Support Systems
Whenever possible, every neighbourhood should have people who can help reduce students’ hidden fears. This work needs both time and resources. We must all be ready for this sacrifice. If we truly want to free students and others from the chains of fear, every healthy person must lead this effort.
Conclusion
Student fears are real and serious. They hide beneath the surface but cause serious damage. We cannot ignore this problem any longer. The pressure of exams, the negative effects of technology, the harmful aspects of social media, and chaotic environments all contribute to this crisis.
The solution requires action from families, schools, communities, and government. We must listen to children, understand their loneliness, and provide professional help when needed. Creating peaceful environments where students feel safe to express themselves is essential.
Considering the seriousness of this topic, I end with this message: We must all become serious about this issue now. This is what the time demands. Delaying action will only make things worse. Our students deserve better. Their future and our society’s future depend on how well we address these hidden fears today.
sy**********@***il.com