Birmingham: Pakistani Parents on Supporting Children’s Mental Health in a Digital Age
In Birmingham, conversations inside Pakistani households are increasingly focused on the struggles of young people growing up in a digital-first world. Parents, who once worried about school grades and community expectations, now face the added challenge of understanding how social media and online culture affect their children’s mental health.
F., a father of three, admitted that he often feels out of his depth. “When we were young, there was no Instagram or TikTok. We spent our time in school, at home, or in the mosque. Now my children live half their lives online, and I don’t always know what pressures they face there.”
Mothers, too, see the changes. N., who has two teenagers, explained how online comparisons can harm self-esteem. “My daughter sometimes says she feels she doesn’t look right, or she’s not achieving enough compared to what she sees on social media. As a parent, it’s painful, because she is doing so well in school. But these platforms make children doubt themselves.”
Some parents are trying to set stricter boundaries. A., a mother of four, said she introduced a rule that phones stay out of bedrooms at night. “It caused arguments at first, but I can see my children sleeping better. They are less tired in the mornings, and I feel more in control of what they are watching.”
But not all parents find it easy to enforce rules. S., a father in his 40s, acknowledged: “You can’t control everything. Even if you take the phone away at home, children will find internet access elsewhere. The real challenge is teaching them how to use it responsibly.”
Faith and community remain central tools. Several parents said they encourage their children to balance their digital life with prayer, mosque activities, and family gatherings. N. added: “We try to remind our children that their value is not in likes or followers. Our faith teaches us that self-worth comes from character, not from online approval.”
Community organisations in Birmingham have also begun to respond. Local mosques and youth centres are holding workshops for parents on online safety and mental wellbeing. Some parents find these sessions reassuring, as they learn about platforms, algorithms, and the psychological effects of constant scrolling.
Despite the challenges, many parents remain optimistic. They see resilience in their children and believe that open conversations can bridge the generational gap. “When I was a teenager, I couldn’t imagine telling my parents about stress or anxiety,” said F. “If our children feel they can talk to us about these things, then maybe we are already doing better than before.”
For Birmingham’s Pakistani community, supporting children in a digital age is a delicate balance of tradition, faith, and adaptation. Parents know they cannot shield their children from every influence, but they are determined to help them stand strong in both worlds.
اردو خلاصہ
برمنگھم میں پاکستانی والدین اب صرف تعلیمی نتائج یا کمیونٹی کی توقعات کے بارے میں فکر مند نہیں رہتے۔ ان کی سب سے بڑی تشویش یہ ہے کہ سوشل میڈیا اور آن لائن دنیا بچوں کی ذہنی صحت پر کس طرح اثر ڈال رہی ہے۔
ایک والد نے کہا: “ہمارے دور میں انسٹاگرام یا ٹک ٹاک نہیں تھا۔ اب بچے اپنی آدھی زندگی آن لائن گزارتے ہیں اور ہمیں ہمیشہ سمجھ نہیں آتی کہ وہ وہاں کس دباؤ کا شکار ہیں۔”
ایک ماں نے بتایا کہ اس کی بیٹی سوشل میڈیا پر دوسروں سے موازنہ کر کے اپنی خود اعتمادی کھو بیٹھتی ہے، حالانکہ وہ پڑھائی میں اچھی ہے۔ کچھ والدین نے قوانین بنائے ہیں، جیسے رات کو فون کمرے میں نہ لے جانا۔
کچھ والدین کا ماننا ہے کہ بچوں کو فون چھیننے کے بجائے ان کو ذمہ داری سکھانا زیادہ ضروری ہے۔ کئی والدین اپنے بچوں کو نماز اور کمیونٹی سرگرمیوں میں شامل کر کے توازن قائم کرنے کی کوشش کرتے ہیں۔
مقامی مساجد اور یوتھ سینٹرز نے والدین کے لیے ورکشاپس شروع کی ہیں تاکہ وہ آن لائن دباؤ اور ذہنی صحت کے مسائل کو سمجھ سکیں۔
والدین کا ماننا ہے کہ اگر بچے اپنے مسائل پر کھل کر بات کرتے ہیں تو یہ ایک مثبت تبدیلی ہے۔ برمنگھم کی کمیونٹی میں اب کوشش یہی ہے کہ بچوں کو روایتی اقدار اور جدید آن لائن دنیا کے بیچ مضبوط سہارا فراہم کیا جا سکے۔
