The recent, tragic passing of a young Bhutanese TikToker, allegedly due to suicide, has stirred a wave of grief and introspection among social media users across Bhutan. Just weeks earlier, a 16-year-old student’s life was similarly lost, bringing these tragedies painfully close to home. These heartbreaking incidents are stark indicators of an unseen crisis simmering beneath our society’s surface—a crisis that demands our immediate attention and action.
Today’s young Bhutanese generation is growing up in an environment vastly different from any their parents or grandparents could have imagined. They are connected to the world through advanced technology, bombarded with global trends, and immersed in a digital consumerist culture that places immense value on image and status. While social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook offer creative outlets, they also expose young people to darker realities: unfiltered violence, bullying, and the pressure of unrealistic beauty standards. This double-edged sword leaves many young minds struggling to navigate the fine line between inspiration and toxic influence.
Currently, over 80 percent of our youth are engaged with social media. For some, it is a space for expression and connection; for others, it is a landscape fraught with negativity, where anonymity empowers bullies to launch hateful attacks, cyberbullying is normalized, and the pressure to maintain a flawless online image becomes overwhelming. Facing a daily onslaught of carefully curated images and aggressive online exchanges, many young people feel inadequate, alienated, and, tragically, some are driven to despair.
The rise in suicide and self-harm cases, particularly among adolescents, has been a disturbing trend in recent years, as confirmed by the World Health Organization. For Bhutan, a nation deeply rooted in holistic well-being, these numbers are a wake-up call. The toll on our youth’s mental health has deep societal consequences, eroding our sense of community and safety. It is a crisis that no one—parents, educators, government, or society as a whole—can ignore.
Our response to this crisis must be multifaceted and collaborative, beginning with the home. Parents play an indispensable role in creating a safe, nurturing environment for their children. In a world where social media dominates, parental guidance is paramount. Setting clear rules for social media use, regulating screen time, and monitoring interactions can reduce young people’s exposure to harmful content. But more importantly, parents need to foster resilience by providing emotional support and modeling healthy coping strategies. When mental health discussions are welcomed at home, children feel safer sharing their struggles, rather than feeling isolated.
Schools, too, are essential in this endeavor. Educators are often the first to notice signs of distress in young people, yet they may lack the training to respond effectively. By equipping teachers with basic counseling skills and integrating mental health education into the curriculum, we can build a supportive school environment that encourages students to open up about their challenges without fear of judgment. Teaching media literacy is equally important, empowering young minds to critically engage with the content they encounter online and enabling them to distinguish between realistic and distorted portrayals of life.
Social media platforms themselves must also be held accountable. The need for robust laws protecting vulnerable users from online harassment and hate is urgent. Bhutan’s regulatory bodies must actively monitor platforms for cyberbullying cases and ensure that stringent measures are enforced to protect young users from harmful behavior. Awareness campaigns and educational programs are essential to reinforce the message that online harassment is a crime with serious consequences, just as harmful as face-to-face bullying.
Mental healthcare must also become a cornerstone of our national health policy. We need a mental health program that is accessible and robust, spanning all levels of the healthcare system. This investment would not only serve those already in need but would also work preventatively, offering young people an outlet and resources to manage their mental health before their struggles escalate into crisis.
The alarming loss of young lives we have witnessed should serve as a painful but necessary reminder that now is the time to act. Together, as parents, educators, policymakers, and community members, we must prioritize mental health and resilience in our young people’s lives. We must foster open, compassionate conversations around the challenges they face, building a society where they feel safe, supported, and equipped to thrive. Only then can we hope to prevent future tragedies and honor the lives lost to this silent crisis. The well-being of our youth—and indeed, the future of our nation—depends on it.
