Parenting has never been easy. Also, coping with parents by the offspring hasn’t always been a piece of cake. Nowadays, the generation gap is widening because the pace of change in our lives is accelerating faster than the apple which fell on Newton’s head. It is the handiwork of the most potent and persistent disruptors in history- digitalization, social media and internet. So, the 20th century could be labelled as the modern equivalent of stone age. Gen Z would find it hard to believe that in the recent past, the booking of railway tickets entailed standing in the queue for time period which was often longer than the time taken for the train journey.
‘The younger generation is going haywire.’ These words have been uttered by parents since times immemorial. But nowadays the youngsters are also miffed at their parents for not keeping pace with the times- like an old computer whose outdated hardware makes it unfeasible to add new software. They get bewildered when seniors get jittery over booking of an app-based cab. For some, making an online payment is as tough as solving The Sunday Times Crossword. I try my best to upgrade my digital skills so as to maintain and possibly enhance respectability amongst my son and daughter.
The flash points in the parent child relationship are aplenty. Acquisition of the latest model of ‘on the wish list’ smartphone every year and getting excited about it for months before its release is thought of as craziness by Mr & Mrs Middle Class who were brought up on second-hand books and discarded clothes of the elder siblings and cousins. Parents also feel that the solo holiday trips of youngsters to ‘off the tourist map’ destinations are a bad influence of the travel influencers. Papa ki pari is demoted to papa ki sirfiri beti when she comes home with tattoos got made without parental assent. But the daughter had no choice. If she tried to take permission from papa for getting inked, he would have acted as if black ink had been thrown at his face.
The young investors aren’t excited about investment in property because it is an illiquid asset (won’t help one buy concert tickets in the black market). On the other hand, some seniors opine that investing in stock market is akin to gambling. Many elders feel that getting money withdrawn from their bank accounts amounts to self-induced robbery. In contrast, most of the youngsters who earn, constantly inject money into the Indian economy.
There comes a time when the kid attains marriageable age (which is increasing slowly and steadily). Those who haven’t hooked a boy or a girl have no choice but to opt for arranged marriage- wherein detective level enquiry and precise calculation precedes love. While the families often take liking to each other, the boy or the girl may back off because of a lack of ‘vibe’. Most parents acquire a quizzical look when asked about the meaning of ‘vibe’. Surprisingly, most love marriages too are solemnised with Instagram worthy celebrations.
But the marital matters are even trickier for those who live saat samundar paar. An NRI from the US revealed to me that his daughter remained cross with him for full one year after he told her, ‘Don’t postpone marriage further. You will become overage.’
In the present era, the ‘ages’ could span just a few years. For example, the ‘pager age’ lasted only about twelve years and the ‘quasi-smart mobile phone age’ was there for about fifteen years!
