“A generation too sensitive.” This is a recurring critique aimed at every modern expression of vulnerability. While dialogue is often dismissed as a sign of weakness, the reality of our social landscape suggests a far more dangerous trend. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there has been a sharp increase in violent outbursts among the youth (ages 18–30) over the last decade. When society mocks or labels emotional expression “too much,” it does not eliminate the emotion; it merely forces it to metastasise. For young men, the demand to “man up” functions as a psychological trigger. Without the vocabulary to process rejection or failure, the mind remains in a state of perpetual high alert. What society perceives as “strong” is often a thin crust over a boiling reservoir of suppressed insecurities and anxiety. When it reaches its maximum capacity, the crust breaks open and destroys everything in front. Emotional expression isn’t an argument for a horrible incident to occur. Yet it is necessary to see the possibility of how it affects someone.

The recent harrowing crime in Uttar Pradesh serves as an example of these trends. On March 14, 2026, a 25-year-old man allegedly stabbed his twin sister multiple times to death. Then he drove to Delhi to pick up his mother, an assistant manager at an insurance company. He asked her to return home with him. Unaware of the scene that awaited her, she accompanied him home. But the moment she opened the door, he started to attack her with a knife, but she fortunately escaped. According to police, both siblings worked at the same firm, while he quit his job a year and a half ago; his sister continued. In between all this, he started talking to a woman online. She belonged to a different faith. They promised each other forever, but never met in real life. Seven months ago, they broke up. Her sister was trying to counsel him during an argument when she got stabbed. His mother said he was depressed after the breakup. As a normal person, condemning the act is necessary. But the fact that a person could go to this extent with his own family needs to be discussed. What led a person on the edge to kill the people who lived with him all his life?

The breakup easily seems to be the reason behind it, yet it was just fuel to the ongoing fire. The impulse of multiple stabs to your sister doesn’t seem like an impulsive action. Rather, it seems like an action that occurred after a lot of rage, insecurity, and jealousy had been kept inside. Having a twin may seem comforting, but it can quietly turn everyday life into constant comparison. Even with age gaps between siblings, a lot of us face comparison. Here, it would have intensified as both were always fighting for the same spots. Working in the same office and with colleagues creates an environment where you are constantly pushed to be judged by your siblings’ actions. Unemployment increased pressure and societal comparison. The constant achievement of one while the other is suffering from struggle leads to relative deprivation—a place where whatever you do, your actions are always compared to a person who is better than you. Before you know it, disliking that person becomes your habit.

In the midst of his struggle, he found a partner—someone who listened to his rants and validated his feelings. A person outside of the bubble that he lived in. Someone who gave him the feeling that he was enough. In psychology, it is called digital disinhibition when the relationship is online; the brain fills in the gaps with perfection. When it ends, it’s often more intense, as the person is losing a fantasy that they used to escape real-life problems. Validation is a necessity for every human, so when the only person giving it disappears, the balancing scale just gets tipped. It is kind of common to fall in love with someone on the internet. As a generation that guards their emotions, it sometimes gets lonely. So the person who gave you comfort, confidence, and doesn’t know the real you, but the version you created, makes you feel that you are invincible. It is like a fantasy game where you can be the king and no one will ask for your credentials—a break from the world that is constantly pushing you to struggle.

Depression and violence are not readily apparent, as most people suffering from it cause self-harm. But when we give too much focus to depressed mood, we end up ignoring other negative emotions, such as resentment or irritability. Such emotions can lead to violence in people who have poor impulse control. We often nullify every other emotion of a depressed person because of their grief. Depression alone is never the cause of violence, but if you add childhood trauma, PTSD, or substance abuse, the stakes get higher. Substance abuse nowadays doesn't end at alcohol or drugs; it also includes constant consumption of endless scrolling, binge-watching, and gaming. As it becomes an addiction, the more you use. Also, living in a time where you see a 25-year-old person living a lavish life and having the best trips seems frustrating when you are struggling in your office to prepare a report.

The world is a cruel place, so most of us run home, but when there is also someone who keeps showing you a mirror of your failures, it becomes tough to survive. He wanted to kill his mother, too, as he didn’t want her to be alone after he went to jail. This kind of logic comes from a brain that has been convinced that committing the crime is a necessity to feel at peace. As the only male in a matriarchal home, it is quite easy for him to feel threatened because our society still believes in patriarchy. When the sister, who was the reason, according to him, tried to advise, the sheer feeling of inadequacy heightened.

Not to be a devil’s advocate, but leaving a mental illness untreated is far more dangerous than leaving a wound open, as it not only affects the person but the people around them. Mental awareness is praised until it happens to people you know; then it is just a phase, or they are behaving too sensitively. Advising a person in a struggle is quite easy, but handling every emotion that they go through needs professional help. We often think that just because we know someone, we can handle them, but most of the time, we just know a part of them. Depression can’t be nullified with gym, music, parties, or even listening—it is far deeper than that. When we get sick, we go to a doctor, not take medicine unadvisedly, so why become a counsellor when you aren’t a professional? Mental health isn’t something to be liked or talked about only on social media; it is something to be practised in daily life. Let the person you love go talk to a therapist instead of giving them lectures about where they are going wrong. Mental health is a concern that should be taken seriously. Emotional negligence is not a cool thing; being strong doesn’t mean being heartless or cold. Emotions are a part of the human body, and like blood needs circulation for your survival, emotions also need to be regulated; otherwise, the emotional clot is much worse than a blood clot.

.    .    .