Man has always been fearful. Despite being brave, he is deeply fearful. He is weighed down by both apparent and hidden fears, which cause him to suffer from unending troubles and deprive him of enjoying life's joys. Earthquakes, heavy rains, thunder, lightning, floods, storms, death, and various kinds of accidents frighten humans. However, the present age has brought new kinds of fears along with it.
In today's time, a person is distant from another even when physically close. These distances are of various kinds. The distance of hearts is the greatest distance. People can be seen talking to each other, but a void exists between them that fills life with fear.
A student, due to their age and lack of experience, is not in a position to see the true reality of things. They are intimidated by every fear, and sometimes a particular fear becomes the catalyst for extreme harm. For many years, I have been observing various anxieties found in children. This is because I work at a private coaching institute where I interact with different kinds of children. During observation, I noticed many hidden fears in children. Fear of strangers, fear of ghosts, fear of loss, fear of loud noises, fear of mobile phone rings, fear of humiliation, fear of not achieving success, fear of walking on the road, fear of elders, fear of not living up to society's expectations, fear of talking to other children at school, fear of relatives, fear of being distant from friends on social media, fear of the phone battery dying, fear of being away from mobile phones, etc., are anxieties that are eating away at children from within.
Fear exists in every era. Apart from natural fears, human fears also accompany a person. However, in the present age, which is an age of progress, new kinds of fears have dug their claws firmly into the ground. Measuring their depth is beyond human capability. But now the question arises: what are the motivations or reasons due to which serious and hidden types of anxieties are found in today's students? There are some apparent and many hidden reasons that give rise to this painful situation. The following lines will briefly mention some reasons.
The first reason is the mad obsession with competitive exams. If not mistaken, this is the very cause from which others are born. When a student is crushed between the two millstones, every kind of fear is born in their life. If mountains were also included in the race of competitive exams, they too would collapse to the ground out of fear. Now, if such treatment is meted out to humans, it is natural for students to fall prey to anxiety. The fear of failing exams and the associated humiliation create a state in students' lives where every action has a reaction, which, if not leading to death, certainly turns a child into a living corpse. A few days ago, a twenty-eight-year-old youth committed suicide. According to sources, that youth had failed a competitive exam. He could not bear the shock that was looming over his life like dark clouds. Perhaps he was not in a state to show his face! It is also possible that he feared facing himself. There are so many such questions that the hardworking youth took with him. Now I ask the readers: Are competitive exams not the fundamental cause of anxieties?
The second reason is the ugly face of science and technology. Now, students care more about relationships behind the screen. These relationships are devoid of emotions. In these relationships, affection is less, but the element of selfishness is more prevalent. Restlessness and unease increase from these relationships. If, God forbid, a crack appears in these non-existent relationships, then future life seems like a burden. Various fears take hold. In this situation, students become incapable of thinking and internally walk into valleys of fear where heartbeats quicken and the sparkle in the eyes disappears. Depressions take up permanent residence. Thus, relationships devoid of emotions and love replace real relationships, becoming a source of trouble.
The third reason is the gathering place of the internet and social media. Because of this, besides apparent troubles, a series of internal anxieties has begun. The bad effects of the internet and social media on students outweigh their benefits. Maturing prematurely and becoming familiar with things we can call 'untimely exposure'. This is a terrible situation. Psychology experts also say that if students become acquainted with things that have the capacity to negatively impact emotions before their time, the results emerge in the form of fear and restlessness.
The fourth and final reason is a chaotic environment. The environment is from us. It is we who shape the environment. We have turned this environment into a gathering place of chaos. In this environment, the flourishing of fear and anxiety is natural. We have allowed such unnecessary customs and traditions to flourish that students feel suffocated internally. In this unfavourable environment, if a student wants to live a life of their own choice, mountains of obstacles stand before them, causing students to become either prone to overthinking or they stop thinking altogether, which causes students to sink into the quagmire of destruction where dark shadows of fear are everywhere. In this environment, a student's foundations are struck hard blows.
To save students from all these anxieties, we all must provide our full cooperation. We must take complete care of them. They are young in age and inexperienced. They are unfamiliar with the intricacies of things. Formulating a comprehensive system has become an important need of the time. A system in which students, from small to large, can make full efforts to eliminate their hidden inner fears. So that a child can openly speak about the anxieties existing within them. Avoid pressure and coercion, and develop the habit of listening carefully to children's justified and unjustified talk. When a child finds themselves alone in a crowd, they implant the fear of every other person in their heart. They even begin to hate their relatives because, as the saying goes, "Why complain to others when your own haven't understood?" When a student hears about matters related to their life from the mouths of others, that child becomes a victim of a hidden fear.
The conscious members of society and the government should also strive to turn the chaotic environment into a cradle of peace. Measures should be taken from homes to educational institutions that remove fear and make living life easier. Seeking help from experienced counsellors and psychologists is now a necessity of the time. As much as possible, there should be individuals present in every neighbourhood who help reduce students' hidden fears. This task demands both time and resources, and we all should be prepared for this sacrifice. If we decide to free students and others from the chains of fear, then every healthy individual must be at the forefront.

Email:-------------------------------syedmustafaahmad9@gmail.com