Teen angst in the digital age
Being part of this category implies less compliance burden and documentation requirements
Neil Postman began his seminal book The Disappearance of Childhood with the words “children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” In her new book, Stoned, Shamed, Depressed: An Explosive Account of the Secret Lives of India's Teens, Jyotsna Mohan Bhargava calls upon the reader to re-evaluate the “living messages” of urban India.
Ms Bhargava chronicles the life of India’s well-to-do urban teens. She finds that they are traversing “[a] road that is full of temptations and easy adventure, where the boundaries get blurred and where what happens today can have repercussions for years to come.”
Through interviews with teens, parents, teachers and psychologists, she illuminates adolescent struggles with peer pressure, bullying, substance abuse, and other malaises.
Ms Bhargava’s research takes her into “middle-school battlegrounds” where she finds that “tween is the new teen.” These new teens deal with age-old problems from bullying to peer pressure that have “mutated into different and new strains” in a digital world. Ms Bhargava repeatedly asserts that technology and social media might have revolutionised the world, but they are not devoid of pitfalls.
India’s teens have morphed into “clones” that “can be found staring into their smartphones, flexing their latest gadgets while living a double life in the virtual world, convinced that the photoshopped version of their faces is the reality.” This obsession is even considered an addiction — World Health Organisation recognises gaming addiction as an illness.
Nonetheless, many parents do not realise that “leaving their kids unsupervised on the internet can leave them to mentally unravel.” With deepfakes, popup advertisement for weight loss, stalkers and cyber bullies — the internet is no walk in the park. Take, for example, self-harm clips hidden in children’s cartoons on Youtube. Despite the danger, Ms Bhargava reveals that parents continue to use sites like Youtube as “babysitters.” While the internet has numerous positives, she claims that “the distinction is in being strong enough — and old enough — to harness the good of the internet while circumventing the more tempting bad.”
The most significant advantage of the book lies in this critical analysis of technology in our everyday lives. Readers might find themselves thinking twice before they give their children a phone. In the lives of India’s urban teens, things change at a rapid pace. Yet, what remains constant is archaic taboos and parochial mindsets that pervade Indian society and continue to harm teens. This becomes glaringly apparent when
Ms Bhargava boldly explores the topic of sex and consent. She finds that the age of becoming sexually active has fallen. Nevertheless, lack of conversation and education around sex and consent continues to muddle the minds of Indian teens. For example, a 14-year-old boy and girl were caught having sex in school and were expelled. The same punishment was accorded to eight affluent 13-yearold Mumbai boys whose Whatsapp chats about rape and violence were exposed. Ms Bhargava questions whether the same sentence should be “meted out to two consenting minors and those belligerently discussing rape”. She finds that lack of conversation around sex, easy access to porn, and a pre-existing patriarchal culture make India’s kids more susceptible to conflate sex with violence. Ms Bhargava cites Dr Samir Parikh, a psychiatrist, who states that “in a country where marital rape is not criminalised, where domestic violence between the four walls of homes remains unreported more than it is revealed, viewing porn without adequate support could influence a teen into thinking that sex is about the male ego.” Ms Bhargava asserts that more open communication needs to occur — and severely lacking in most urban Indian homes. Contrary to popular belief, punishment might not always be the
solution. She gives readers straightforward insights on adolescents exploring the world of sex.
Her findings are refreshing to read and a powerful reminder that India still has miles to go when it comes to progressive social change.
Ms Bhargava’s findings are a muchneeded reality check for Indian parents. However, there is a lack of intersectionality in her analysis. Although she clarifies from the get-go that the book is about wealthy urban Indian kids and indulges in a surface level class and gender analysis, the book begs for a more nuanced approach.
Ms Bhargava continually reiterates that the privilege of these kids might be a “curse.” It is worth wondering whether 88 million Indians living below India’s poverty line would agree with her. Moreover, caste and its violent grip on India does not even make a guest appearance throughout the book.
That said, the comprehensive coverage of upper caste wealthy Indian teens’ lives — eating disorders, bullying, sextortion, and many others — makes the book a must-read for anyone raising teens in urban India. Yet, Ms Bhargava clarifies that “this is not a book on parenting” and recognises that “very few people welcome advice” and she seems to intentionally avoid a didactic or judgemental tone. Her witty and conversational writing style invites readers to engage with her. Any parent is bound to leave the book with a clearer understanding of India’s urban teenagers’ secret lives and more empathy for their children.
The government has classified foreign portfolio investors (FPIS) from the UAE as eligible for taking up Category-i licence — a move that could boost investment from the region into India.
The UAE is the second NON-FATF (Financial Action Task Force) Country, after Mauritius, to be given the exemption.
As many as 72 of the 113 FPIS coming from the UAE are currently classified as Category-ii FPIS. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), a sovereign wealth fund, has been a major investor into India. “India’s strong ties with the UAE saw the ADIA being covered as a sovereign fund for tax holiday last year and now further push is being given to welcome and facilitate investments from the UAE.
The government would have got comfort regarding compliance with FATF norms given that the UAE is a member of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), which is already a member of the FATF, and as such has the responsibility to ensure compliance,” said Sunil Gidwani, partner, Nangia Andersen.
Last year, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had relaxed its guidelines for FPIS seeking a Category-i licence, allowing investors from countries, which are not
FATF members, to qualify for such registrations, if the countries are specified by the Indian government.
At present, the FATF has 39 members, including Australia, Singapore, Luxembourg, and China.
“The government has been easing existing processes to attract interest from global investors. Adding the UAE to the FPI Category 1 is another measure to improve economic prospects and increase foreign investments into India,” said a person who deals with FPIS.
“The move may also encourage India-focused offshore funds investing in public markets to be domiciled in the UAE, especially Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai International Financial Centre.”
Last year's Budget had clarified that Category-ii FPIS would be subject to indirect transfer provisions, which were earlier applicable to unregulated funds falling under Category-iii.
Being part of Category-i implies lower compliance burden, simplified know-yourcustomer norms and documentation requirements, and fewer investment restrictions.
In 2019, Sebi had allowed central banks — which are not members of the Bank for International Settlements — to be eligible for FPI registration. This would enable central banks from over 60 countries, including those in West Asia, to invest as FPIS.
According to experts, banks from such countries have significant reserves and would like to invest in India. These countries’ fortunes are linked to oil prices. When oil prices dip, India would serve as a natural hedge, as it benefits from lower oil prices.
India and the UAE recently discussed potential opportunities for diversifying trade and investment links in order to strengthen bilateral ties in a post-pandemic world, according to reports.