MODI HAS FORGIVEN. SO, CHAPTER CLOSED? NO. NOT QUITE. Prime Minister Modi has forgiven minors and young people who have used abusive language. So, is this it? Chapter closed? NO. Because this is about something much bigger than the youth. It is about a culture that is steadily normalising... abuse. Remember the NETFLIX series Adolescence. Let's be clear. As we saw in that series abuse is ugly, especially when it comes from children. But this week, during the NEET protests, India got a glimpse of its all pervasiveness. But how did India get here? The reality is that our young people are taking their cues from the real world around them. That world has changed. The code of conduct has dropped. Minors, young adult are now neck deep in a political-social culture where abuse is increasingly excused, even rewarded. Second, they are in a social media ecosystem where outrage and obscenity are amplified because they generate clicks and virality. Virality is the new currency. It's literally an income for a demographic that is down on its luck. Third, they are picking cues from a society that has become so desensitised that behaviour once considered unacceptable barely raises an eyebrow anymore. So what next? Yes, the law has a role. Punishment is a detterent. But it doesn't guarantee reform. So perhaps we also need stronger guardrails on social media so algorithms reward responsibility, not outrage. This will got to some extent in restoring civility to our public discourse. But we must also above all, look at parenting/mentoring. Because values are taught at home and in schools. This is an opportunity for the country to reflect. There is a need to reset and reclaim the standards of public conduct we want adolescents to inherit.show more

Rahul Shivshankar

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