As an IT student, I spend my days debugging code and optimising hardware. However, digital burnout led me away from the logic of processors to the ‘internal wiring’ of the human mind. A session with a clinical psychologist in Lahore revealed a startling reality: while we are the most digitally connected generation, we are experiencing a profound systemic failure when it comes to mental health. The psychologist highlighted that young people today spend upwards of 15 hours on screens, leading to a communication gap where we have forgotten how to process emotions verbally. This digital saturation, combined with the toxic comparison culture fostered by parents, is killing individuality before it even develops.
What struck me most was the biological reality of these struggles. In our society, we often misdiagnose clinical conditions like schizophrenia as ‘the evil eye’ or spiritual failings. This superstition delays life-saving clinical intervention. We must stop fearing what people will say and start viewing therapy not as a quick fix pill, but as essential maintenance for the human heart. The takeaway for my fellow students is clear: we can programme computers to follow logic, but the human mind requires an empathetic, clinical touch to stay online.
Rabia Khawaja
Quetta
