How is racism affecting my teenager?
We are living in an era where the color of your skin holds more significance than what is in your heart. People don’t care about what kind of person you are after finding out that you’re a Muslim.
Racism is spreading like cancer throughout the world. People often forget that they are all the same; no matter what family they belong to, what color their skin is or what God they worship. If one day we could rise above all the petty things like color, creed or language and start judging people on the basis of who they truly are, that will be the day we will be able to call ourselves civilized.
Unfortunately, that is far from reality. These days, young children get bullied because they’re black; adults have to deal with colleagues who criticize them only because they’re Muslims, people getting ragged in the subways and streets only because they’re disabled. Most of you are probably shocked by this; however, this is the reality.
Racism has become a huge part of our lives – Such a big part that if we see a few children surrounding a black child, we don’t do anything about it. One thing we never realize is that Racism is the only thing that could kill a living person. They could be walking and talking normally, but from the inside, their self-respect is crushed and their conscious weighs down from all the hatred.
We’ve compiled a list of things that could happen when an individual faces more than a few racial comments every day…
Severe Stress and Depression
It’s more than obvious that a person who is teased every single day by colleagues, co-workers, class mates, etc. will be depressed. They will absolutely despise every single thing about the place they have to go to every day of the week. Honestly, any of these things are enough to ruin anyone’s day. If you’re one of the people that teased someone for being a Hindu, then you probably should stop, because you’re probably the reason they are distressed for the rest of the day.
Lowered Morale and Self-Esteemed
This is no hidden fact that a person who laughed at twenty times in the day would lose confidence in themselves. It can demoralize them and can reduce their capability to work. All of you are probably familiar with Martin Luther King. He is the reason black people have the rights that they do today. Martin Luther King realized the fact that if America keeps on usurping the rights of black people, they will end up with a half broken and battered nation. This would, ultimately, start a war – A war that will take place inside America. From this, you can easily realize the effects that racism has on someone’s consciousness.
Suicides
There have been hundreds of cases when a teen that was abused at school ends up committing suicide. Even though there are a very small amount of cases of adults committing suicide, their frustration is no less than teenagers. Insults over insults are enough to ruin someone’s day. However, when the insults are directed to someone’s color, creed or religion, this might push someone to the extent of committing suicide.
How is Racism Hurting the Minds of Teens?
So, what happens when teens witness racism all day long? Does a Christian kid become happy when someone mocks a Muslim? Does a white child feels amused when someone laughs at a black teen? The answer is Yes. Our society has become one where racism is no longer considered death to social life, however, people enjoy it. Think about it yourself, when was the last time you stood up for someone being teased? We are living in a world where racism makes people feel a false sense of superiority as compared to the minorities – and it is needless to say, this isn’t playing well for teens.
How Can Parents Keep Children Safe From Racism?
Whether your child is a racist, or if they are being mocked by someone else, as a parent, it is your duty to protect them from either one. The best way to protect your children would be to use Parental Monitoring Applications. They are able to monitor all of your child’s conversations on their Smartphone, and you can know if your child is cyberbullying someone. You could use their own device’s camera and microphone and see if they aren’t getting bullied by someone at school. Hence, making sure that you protect your children from the disease that is racism itself.
Read: 5 Benefits of Boarding Schools.
Read: Causes of Teenager Mental Health Issues.
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