---
title: "Stop Labeling Our Youth: Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Our Roots"
description: "Why labels like Gen Z and Gen Alpha divide families, and why returning to our cultural roots matters more than generational stereotypes."
url: https://gireeshshanbbhag.in/stop-labeling-our-youth-a-plea-to-return-to-our-roots-before-we-lose-everything
published: 2026-10-23T10:44:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-23T16:40:13.027Z
author: Gireesh Shanbbhag
---

# Stop Labeling Our Youth: A Plea to Return to Our Roots Before We Lose Everything

By Gireesh Shanbbhag · October 23, 2026 · Our Culture and Importance, Parenting, Thoughts

There is a concept that has been bothering me deeply lately: the constant, obsessive labeling of our youth. We toss around terms like Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Millennials, using them to draw lines between ourselves. We dismiss young people by saying, "You are Gen Z, you won't understand." To me, putting these labels on our children is fundamentally wrong. Yes, technology was there previously, and now it has advanced, but human nature and the laws of life remain the same. Why are we using these tags to alienate our own kids?

To understand how society should function, we only need to look at nature. Think of our society as a massive, ancient tree. A tree is defined by its strong roots. From those roots, it draws nourishment to grow countless branches. Over time, some branches will stay for many years, while others will fall victim to nature's anger and storms. New branches will inevitably grow on top, and the cycle goes on. But here is the universal truth: they are all rooted.

If a problem arises at the root, or if the root fails to hold strongly to the earth, the entire tree will fall, taking every single branch down with it. That is the end of the story.

Similarly, our generations—past, present, and future—are just different branches of the same tree. The younger generations may be the fresh branches at the top, reaching for the sky, but they are entirely connected to the older generations. The previous generations provide the strong support system. For all the branches, the root remains the strongest and most vital part. This is where our Indian mythology, our rich scriptures, and our ancient wisdom play a major role.

If we take the time to lovingly explain these roots to our children, they will definitely understand. But today, we are failing them. We are rushing blindly after luxury and lustful lifestyles. Against the forces of nature, nothing artificial will survive; if nature decides to destroy it, it will.

Today’s youth often misunderstand the true meaning of freedom. Many do not want marriage, commitment, or dedication, simply because there is no proper guidance from the elders. We, the older generation, have failed them first. For the sake of temporary comfort and short-term happiness, many of us left our aging parents behind in our native villages. In the past, grandparents used to shower their grandchildren with love, sitting them down to tell stories of our mythology and epics. Those stories were not just entertainment; they built strong character and made the children mentally resilient.

Instead of passing down this wisdom, today everyone is racing behind money, property, and business. Most people are only doing it to show off to society and prove they are rich; very few are doing it with ethics and morality.

Because we have abandoned our roots, we are witnessing a terrifying moral decline. A father watches his daughter perform a semi-nude dance on social media and asks, "What is the issue?" School and college teachers are seen enjoying and encouraging students to do *mujra* in educational institutions. We are humans, not animals. If this lack of boundaries continues, we will soon reach a point where Indians will witness intercourse in public without any shame. We are not emotionless people; we have a deeply emotional and spiritual core, unlike the detached Western lifestyles we are blindly trying to copy.

We need to reset our brains so we can see reality clearly again. If we don't, we will lose everything, and by the time we realize it, it will be too late.

Look at how the whole world recognizes India today. They respect us for our diversity, our rich ancient scriptures written by our wise ancestors, and our spiritual practices. The entire globe is practicing and suggesting Yoga—and from which country did it originate? Ours.

It is time we seriously look into this and do the needful. We must guide our future generations with patience, morality, and the wisdom of our ancestors. Let us stop dividing them with Western labels like Gen Z and Millennials, and start treating them as the newest branches of our great Indian tree. Let us strengthen our roots, before the tree falls.