(Though it is a lengthy blog, kindly read it till the end & post your comments)
We are in 21st century. Do you think we are a progressive generation compared to our previous generations?
The answer is yes & also no.
Let’s deep dive into some parameters.
What is actual progress?
Progress is advancement in all spheres of life.
We have advanced rapidly in material and technological terms, while social and psychological well-being present a more complex, mixed picture.
From craftmanship to mass manufacturing in factories, advancement in agriculture, communication, means of transport (Road, rail & air travel), computers & information technology, better health care facilities are some of the attributes where there is definite advancement.
The earning & spending power has considerably increased. The access to the education, information & knowledge has considerably increased.
We have progressed from food scarcity to food abundance.
Life expectancy has increased.
Infant mortality has decreased.
Extreme poverty has decreased.
Above pointers indicate we are a progressive generation.
Now let us understand the progress based on four pillars of HWHR.
Progress based on health, wealth, happiness, and relations is the balanced growth of a society where people live long, secure, joyful, and connected lives.
Understanding the ideal conditions:
- Health Progress: People enjoy strong bodies and clear minds. Have clean air, safe food, and good medical care.
- Wealth Progress: Money is a tool for security, not just a status symbol. Families can pay for food, a home, and unexpected emergencies without fear.
- Happiness Progress: People feel safe and free to pursue their goals. Daily life brings more joy and purpose than worry and burnout.
- Relations Progress: Neighbours help one another. Families stay close, and people feel they belong to a caring society.
Decoding actual condition:
Health pillar:
- As per World Health Organization- approximately 14% of the world adult population is diabetic.
About 45-50% of adults are unaware of of having diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for over 90% of diabetes cases worldwide.
- The scenario in India: From a comprehensive global health study published in The Lancet by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) states- one in four people (26%) in the world with diabetes is from India.
i.e of the total estimated 828 million diabetes in the world, India has about 212 million people with diabetes.
This is really a worrying factor.
Apart from diabetes, the cases of hypertension (BP), hearth attacks, cancer are on the rise.
Are these good symptoms of progress?
Some Important reasons for this situation– Pollution, unhealthy habits, adulterated food, junk food, social media impact, stressful life, urbanisation & most importantly the pure commercial mindset of some entities to make profit.
These entities make people to believe that fast food, packaged food, highly processes foods are healthy & life style & status symbols by advertising & successfully playing with human psychology.
Wealth Pillar:
The earning power & purchasing power has definitely increased. But the inflation (often artificial one) is eroding the power of money. Unnecessary expenses have increased considerably. Basic necessities like food, accommodation, health, education, public transportation are eating away major portion of the earning. This is creating stressful life & people are running behind earning at the cost of health & happiness.
Happiness Pillar:
Due to the fast-paced mechanical life, stress & anxiety have become a part & parcel of life. Long commutes, traffic jams, bad roads, sound & air pollution have made life very stressful. The add On’s are habits such as smoking ( active & passive), drug & alcohol, food induced chemicals (pesticides) are having a toll on the human health. Lack of proper diet, physical activity, nutrition are snatching away the happiness in general. Though happiness is a state of mind, these powerful external factors are making happiness a scarce thing. People are becoming more & more impatient.
Relationship Pillar:
From the extended family to the nuclear family, the shift is becoming more obvious due to the various reasons. Late marriage, one child or no child preference, dual income households, stressful life, long working & commute hours are having an impact on the relationship pillar. The family support system of extended families is disappearing.
Children being raised by maids & elders in old age homes has become a reality. Family values are eroding. Social media has become a very influencing factor. People even when together are glued to their mobile phones. Communication has become more formal.
But one good thing is about festivities & family functions. This is the only time left for family gatherings as of now.
If you see overall attributes, the unhealthy factors have increased & paint a picture of decline in progress as compared to healthy, happy previous generations even with minimal earning in my opinion.
Of course, the opinions may vary, but facts are facts.
Conclusion: Though materialistically & technologically there is advancement, there is considerable erosion in HWHR as per my individual opinion.