Unnoticed threats
The writer is a UET graduate and holds Master’s degrees from Sargodha University and Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad. He can be contacted at wajahatsultan6@gmail.com
The 21st century is a century of threats and volatility due to emerging technologies, scientific disruption and shifting human potential. In this century, the posed threats have different trends. The last century upheld threats like poverty, population push, security and wars. Today, we have different categories of threat. These threats are non-kinetic. We all talk about economic issues, political polarisation and national security. However, there are other issues that may pose pitfalls for future generations and sustainability of society. It is imperative to recognise the nature of those threats that could be more dangerous than poverty and terrorism.
The most imperceptible but perilous threat is ‘Tension Disorder’. In the coming days, stress or tension will be the major factor causing diseases like heart strokes, diabetes and hypertension. Stress is a new pandemic that is out of sight for our governing bodies to consider. We eat to reduce our hunger, but we don’t work or even discuss how to reduce our stress, hypertension, overthinking and uncontrollable emotional pain. Early cancer and heart attacks are very common in contemporary society. According to the Public Health Journal, the basic reason behind early heart attack and cancer is mental stress. Governments need to highlight this issue because it is directly linked to public health, and even economic progress. For example, stress raises 30-40% heart strokes, and weight increases. All these factors contribute to a slowdown in productivity which decreases vibrant economic participation. The sustainable future of humanity depends on policies about preventive health and stress management education in schools.
The next section is devoted to the threat of incompetent parenting. Training parenting is the way forward to a resilient future. Today, our generation is the lost generation. Generation Z has no emotional sustainability and regulations. The inconsistent patterns of relations and social connections have posed a threat to compatible future-building by this generation. During the next 10-15 years, training young people to become parents will ensure a productive and participatory future. Competent parenting can add secure and emotionally capable individuals ahead through an adequate parental style.
Obesity is more dangerous than terrorism. In a year, 110% more people die due to obesity than terrorism according to the Global Perception Index Report. There are dimensional challenges with obesity. For example, the efficiency and effectiveness of human beings in any role stalls because of obesity. It is a new pandemic ahead due to a rising fast-food culture, a sedentary lifestyle and hypertension. According to economists, obesity can decrease GDP per capita due to cognitive ineffectiveness and health issues. Additionally, obesity can put extra medical expenditure and infrastructure to deal with the rising threat of obesity as a future problem.
Invisible intolerance and trust deficits are modern challenges for state continuity. The state exists with trust from its subjects. In Pakistan, there is a huge tendency among people to mistrust the state. The government needs to clarify the role of the state as a responsible unit for maintenance and management of individuals. Without trust, no progress and reform can be possible.
The level of tolerance is also decreasing due to low cognitive and calculated mindsets. Mental statistics are not used by the majority in Pakistan, resulting in decisions based on heuristics. A state’s responsibility is to promote such education that makes future generations use their rational faculties for making right choices.
The other mega-unnoticed threat is irrelevancy. In the age of kinetic powers like military might, territorial hold and nuclear power, the standards for relevancy were different. Now it is an age of soft power, non-kinetic resources and an international image due to research and development. Pakistan has no major outcomes in AI, Robotic Sciences, Rare Earth Metals and a competent diaspora. In comparison, India is touching the skies with digital relevance and a competent diaspora abroad. Irrelevancy in the international world can be an unnoticed threat ahead for Pakistan and needs to be addressed.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2024.
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