In an age ruled by algorithms and dopamine-driven digital gratification, education is facing a quiet crisis of purpose. Our children sit in classrooms where attention is constantly fractured by screens, and success is too often reduced to grades, test scores and CV lines. We are producing a generation adept at swiping, scrolling and searching, yet frequently ill-equipped to regulate emotions, cope with frustration or experience genuine gratitude.
Neuroscience is unambiguous: relentless stimulation from video games, social media notifications and endless feeds over-activates the brain’s dopamine pathways. Young minds become wired for instant reward, making it harder to focus, wait or persist through difficulty. By contrast, practices that cultivate reflection and emotional regulation strengthen the prefrontal cortex — the seat of focus, empathy, self-control and wise decision-making.
The good news is that the remedies are neither exotic nor expensive. “Gratitude circles”, where students spend a few minutes each morning acknowledging people and experiences they appreciate, have been linked to calmer classrooms and stronger peer relationships. Emotion diaries and nature journals, woven into language or science lessons, have been shown to enhance mood, deepen observation and improve academic engagement. These are not soft add-ons; they are evidence-based tools for building emotional resilience and cognitive strength.
In Pakistan, where mental health challenges among youth are rising and social pressures are intensifying, such practices are not optional — they are urgent. A truly 21st-century education must teach students not only how to think, code and compute, but also how to feel, pause, reflect and live with balance. If we are serious about preparing minds for the future, we must begin by healing hearts in the present. Only then can we claim that we are teaching minds — not just machines.
Dr Sadaf Ahmed & Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
