Veteran actor and parliamentarian Jaya Bachchan is known for many things, one of which is her ability to always speak her mind, no matter the circumstances.
Now, a resurfaced episode of her granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda’s podcast, What The Hell Navya, is going viral and has caused a debate about whether the internet should be blamed for the rising anxiety among the young generations.
Jaya Bachchan blames the internet for ‘anxiety attacks’ among Gen Z
In the podcast, Jaya Bachchan spoke at length about how overexposure to the internet is the number one cause of the declining mental health of Gen Z. Jaya Bachchan claimed that the youth today feel constant validation online, leading to added stress, contributing to what she refers to as “an epidemic of anxiety”.
Jaya Bachchan said, “Navya, what happens among your generation is that ‘answer to the calls quickly, reply to texts quickly’. You get your validation from what you see on the internet and your phone,” adding, “Are we looking nice? Are we thinking correctly? If you are saying the right thing? All this increases your stress levels.”
Navya Naveli Nanda in conversation with Jaya Bachchan over increasing anxiety among youth
When Navya asked if her generation is more stressed because of the internet, Jaya Bachchan simply replied, “Definitely.” Jaya Bachchan also revealed that during her youth, the concept of an anxiety attack did not exist. “We hadn’t heard of an anxiety attack when we were kids. Let alone our childhood, we never heard it in our midlife also,” she said.
Shweta Bachchan disagrees with Jaya Bachchan’s views on anxiety
Jaya Bachchan’s daughter, Shweta Bachchan, who was also present, disagreed with her mother’s point of view on anxiety and argued that though anxiety has always existed, it is now widely recognised. “Anxiety was always there. It’s now more identifiable. It’s more spoken about,” Shweta said, pointing out that even Jaya Bachchan has admitted to feeling anxious, ‘It’s just more vocal.”