Peer Pressure and Competition Among Youths in Bangladesh: From Background to Recovery
The Increasing Weight on Young Minds
It is the peer and social pressure they are facing in Bangladesh among the youth population. The reason is that the students are exposed to endless academic pressure, social comparisons, & the pursuit of external success from an incredibly early age as defined by societal rules. From excelling in school, to getting accepted to elite jobs or schools, or gaining social standing, young people are in an endless competition feeding a cycle with stress, anxiety, and even depression as the outcomes.
Where This Addiction to Competition Comes From
This is an also due to: Academic Pressure: Bangladesh is notorious for seeking records in education where students fight over grades, university enrolments and scholarships. And with it, its unique culture of rote learning and ruthless exams, the weight of parental expectations.
Societal Conditioning and Parental Expectations: Parents frequently compare their children with others, further reinforcing the belief that self-worth is contingent upon achievement. This creates a context in which social class, family reputation, and monetary wealth dictates a young person’s choices in life, with little space for dreams.
Social media and Peer Pressure: With the emergence of digital platforms, the competition has reached further heights. Young people compare their uncrated, everyday lives to Instagram feeds of success, wealth, and beauty. The fear of missing out (FOMO) along with the need to stay relevant lead them to engage in unhealthy competitive behaviours.
Job Market Saturation: The increasing number of graduates all flooding into an already saturated job market, the pressure to find employment only serves to elevate the stress levels. The latter exert an incredibly demanding pressure to outperform peers at all costs to secure a stable future.
How Unhealthy Competition Leads to Downward Spirals
Mental Health Struggles: Anxiety, depression, and burnout are becoming unacceptably common among students and young professionals. Emotional breakdowns and low self-confidence can occur because of the fear of failing.
Loss of Creativity and Passion: When successful means what everyone else tells you it means, many young people bury what they are passionate about and pursue careers in what they believe are safe jobs that pay well, which may not align with their actual interests.
Toxic Relationships and Social Isolation: When leaders or employees engage in unhealthy competition, jealousy, and resentment is usually the result, including a lack of genuine friendships. Given this intense competition, most young people can experience a sense of loneliness, because it feels like everyone else who is also a young person is in competition rather than as a friend.
The Path to Recovery
Rethinking Success: Exposing youth to alternative measures of success based on personal growth, skill development, and emotional intelligence can alleviate unwanted pressure.
Support from Parents and Education Institutions: Parents and education institutions have a place in providing students with the support for their unique talents instead of propagating a rigid definition of achievement.
Mental Health Awareness: Encourage open discussions about mental health, including counselling services and mindfulness practices to help youth cope with stress.
Balanced Use of Social Media: Employers can promote a more balanced approach to social media consumption, helping young people to avoid unrealistic comparisons and to learn self-acceptance.
Promote Collaboration instead of Competition: Building spaces where youngsters can team up, share ideas, and support each other will create a better community than a place where they see each other as competitors.
Conclusion
The peer and societal pressure in Bangladesh are strong but can be overcome. By cultivating a more nurturing atmosphere, the youth can liberate themselves from the bonds of caustic competition and become who they are meant to be. We can take the first step towards sobriety by changing how we see ourselves by loving ourselves, and creating a culture that appreciates personal reach instead of Favors.