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Ekya / November 25, 2021 Posted by : administrator

Think before you type

It all began with ‘roasting’. Being a foodie, ‘roasting’ to me meant only one thing: marinated vegetables, fish, or meat cooked over slow heat to produce a heavenly gastronomical experience. Again, I was wrong! Roasting, as the eighth graders enlightened me, was actually a way of putting down a person with insults couched as humor….a particular favourite of the current brood of keyboard-happy netizens.

Like one thing leads to another, I went into a spree of discovery. As I read, spoke, and listened to the gen z around me, the ugly truth raised its hydra-head. Roasting, stalking, flaming were different avatars of cyberbullying. As the world battled with the lethal virus that traipsed the air we breathe, this silent pandemic has affected the virtual lives of millions of young people who were forced to spend hours before the screen. E-safety commissioners around the world report an increase of 36-50% increase of online abuse in the first three weeks of lockdown. Around 20% of the adolescent and youth population fall victim to this invisible monster. And it has also been noticed that on average only one out of ten victims report their plight.

The tentacles of cyberbullying are strong and far-reaching. Depression, anxiety, social awkwardness, low self-esteem, seclusion, and absenteeism from school and social occasions are common. Taking one’s life is also not unknown.

Now, how can an innocent joke be offensive?

If I call you an ‘elephant’ do you really become one?

Oh! I don’t really think you are ugly…it was a joke…you always overreact da.

Why do you have to be so dumb?

A joke is no longer a joke, it makes someone upset. No one enjoys a negative nickname however endearing and loving it may be. Every word we click on our keyboard leaves a thumb impression on someone’s soul. None of us actually have the right to act funny with someone’s self-esteem…make them feel worthless. But how do we draw a line between humor and insult? It is not rocket science at all…follow a few simple steps.

Step 1: After you type any comment (humorous or otherwise) before pounding on entering…take a step back.

Step 2: Click open a checkbox in your head and ask yourself ‘Is my comment going to upset the receiver? Would I like to be addressed the same way?

Step 3: THINK…..THINK….THINK

Step 4: Take responsibility for your actions and post your comment only if you are sure about it.

We do have our freedom of expression, but not the freedom to abuse and bully others on the internet which the Indian Penal Code considers a punishable offense.

If you are a victim of virtual abuse, your escape route is ‘BLOCK and TALK’. Even if your closest friend upsets or insults you do not have to take it. Block the perpetrator and talk to someone you are comfortable with: a parent, a teacher, a friend, or your school counselor. If you find someone a victim of cyberbullying, lend him/her a patient ear, validate his/her feelings, make them feel comfortable and then seek help. Your patient ear can heal wounds way better than trying to fix things in a hurry.

Hence, we can safely wrap up our three-pronged approach to battle this silent pandemic as ‘think before you type’, ‘block and talk’, and ‘listen and validate’. Be a frontline warrior and promote ethical use of social media.

Let us make an effort to be the compassionate and empathetic friend who lends a helping hand and a patient ear. Not the sarcastic and mean one. Let us not be creatures of darkness but the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

-Priyanka Ghosh, High School English Teacher, Ekya School, JP Nagar

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Ekya / October 10, 2023

The Truth of Time

The mountain tops shiver As the snow begins to shower The water flows to cover The secrets of the river.

The birds trill near the lake As the morning sun awake The lion cub to take The crown for the sake.

The windows patter The things clatter The world scatter As our deeds matter

Isana G K

Grade 7

Ekya Schools, ITPL

Ekya / October 10, 2023

Financial literacy from an early age

It’s Jan 2022, I am in grade 6 as a substitute teacher. I ask the students to introduce themselves. They also get curious to know about me. As soon as I tell them that I am a senior grade teacher and I teach Accounts and Business studies, they are intrigued. The word Business catches their attention and some of them express their interest in Finance.

Now, I was fascinated to hear the word finance from such young children. Particularly fascinated by a young student Ms Ahaana Shetty, who explained how she manages her pocket money, as taught to her by her father. She had a clear understanding of creating a balance between saving and spending.

This was not the case in the earlier times. We can quote examples of celebrities who, despite having earned a fortune, burnt their hands at poor financing decisions. Amitabh Bachan’s ABCL took on more than it could handle, like the Miss World pageant, and exhausted all money. Then it took bank loans which it couldn't repay. Mr. Bachchan had retired, so there was no income and no savings. The moral of the story is, that even if people earn astronomical sums, they need to invest it so that it keeps growing.

Having said that, it boils down to the fact that financial literacy at an early age is pivotal for building a strong foundation for financial well-being throughout life. Teaching children about money, budgeting, savings and investments from a young age will help them make informed financial decisions. They can avoid the financial perils faced commonly by people.

The challenge in educating young children about finance would be the financial jargon which they may find overwhelming and difficult to understand. Hence it becomes important to use age-appropriate terminology.

As parents, we can give a reasonable amount of allowance to our children and ask them to use it wisely for needs, and wants and also save a part of it. This will help them to understand the concept of budgeting. We must also encourage them to make informed purchasing decisions, look for discounts and become a smart shopper.

A simple step like opening a savings bank account for the child and making them understand how a bank account works will introduce them to the importance of keeping money safe. They will understand how regular savings will grow over some time due to the compounding of interest.

Children must be taught about loans too. They need to understand that loans should not be borrowed if one is not sure of financial ability to repay. Also, they need to be taught that loans must be repaid timely, or else they will keep becoming bigger due to accumulating interest.

Older children can be introduced to the concepts of stocks and mutual funds. They can be encouraged to follow investments over time and learn about the dynamics of stock markets.

Schools can introduce financial literacy programs and take initiatives to incorporate financial education as part of the curriculum.

I would like to conclude by saying that it is essential for everyone to be financially literate and wisely invest money to grow it. It is equally important to keep track of investments. One should not spend more than what one earns, even if the earnings are enormous, otherwise, the money will not last very long. Remember, it is your money.

Ekya / October 10, 2023

A Guide To Navigating Academic Stress

Academic pressure and impending board exams can feel like an overwhelming storm, but as a 10th-grade student who's been through the burnout ringer, I've discovered effective strategies to stay afloat. When stress creeps in, I lean on a toolbox of coping mechanisms that help me maintain balance and clarity.

Understanding my panic patterns has been key. I've learnt that giving my all is important, but the outcome isn't a mirror of my worth. I remind myself of this and reframe my perspective. To escape my study-clogged mind, I turn to books – they whisk me away to new worlds, however briefly. Music acts as a soothing balm; I limit panic to 5 minutes and then channel my energy into finding solutions.

Engaging in physical activities is another lifesaver. Running or spending time outdoors channels my pent-up energy, allowing my mind to reset. Moreover, taking up hobbies like painting or playing a musical instrument provides a welcome distraction and cultivates a sense of accomplishment beyond academics.

Remember, you're more than your grades. Embrace your unique strengths, employ these strategies, and watch stress lose its grip. With determination, self-awareness, and a dash of escapism, you'll breeze through the academic whirlwind.

Written By: Ahaana Singhal Student of Grade 10

#CounsellorBlog: Mindset By, Anushree C N, Counsellor

All of us have this desire to look cool and to be intelligent. We feel intelligence can be gathered through what we study and that’s the only way to gain intelligence. But in reality, intelligence is the ability to think on your feet, the ability to keep growing and to continue to be curious and alert. The key is in our mindset.

There are two kinds of mind-sets –

Fixed Mindset – where intelligence is static and

Growth Mindset – where intelligence is developing and learning continuously.

A fixed mindset leads to a desire to look smart and hence we unconsciously become rigid in our ways. We try and stick to the known path, avoid challenges and when faced with any challenge we tend to give up easily.

We do not like to put in too much effort as we fear failure. This may lead to us being hard on ourselves and developing perfectionism as a coping mechanism. We are unable to take in negative feedback and easily feel threatened by others’ success.

A growth mindset on the other hand leads to a desire to keep learning and hence we tend to look at life as a learning process. We are not scared to face challenges as it only teaches us how to approach life better thereby increasing our persistence and we become more resilient.

We see effort as an ingredient to our success and hence we do not shy away from putting in the effort required. This also opens our minds towards criticism as we get a valuable lesson from this as well. We are also able to feel happy for others’ success as they become an inspiration to achieve more!

As we can see, with a Growth mindset we can reach greater heights and also gain a sense of greater free will…..

The choice is yours.

-Anushree C N, Counsellor

#StudentBlogger: Back To School By, Prerana Moolchandani, Grade 9A, Ekya JP Nagar

Back to School

With bated breath, I was awaiting the fresh and vivacious day to bring some peace to my restless self. I felt a ripple of excitement at the thought of the very first day of my new school. I had only spoken to my classmates online for one year. The first day of offline school in an unknown place that I had never seen, was truly making me nervous and apprehensive.

My expectations from offline school were plenty. I was looking forward to a better learning experience, not just academically but socially as well. Online classes were really tiresome and not as productive as an offline class could be. Offline classes provided so many opportunities like lab classes, physical and co-curricular activities.

People usually are taken aback when they take a bite of the sandwich of reality but fortunately that was not the case with me. I must admit that my school measured up to my expectations and that the accolades that my friends had expressed regarding the school were completely real.

On my first day of school, we were taken to the science lab.I silently heaved and peered all around the place. Who would want to miss such a mesmerizing experience?

After the lab session, I was quite optimistic about the rest of the day. I was fervently waiting for the recess to break the ice and start a conversation with my new acquaintances.

The offline school was something that I was persistently looking forward to, but it’s well said: “the grass is greener on the other side”. Something similar happened to me. After attending classes in the comfort of my home I was so unaccustomed to moving around and donning the uniform along with an asphyxiating mask for long hours. To be honest I felt suffocated and throttled by that innocent-looking skirt.

Nevertheless, I got adjusted to it in a few hours and found myself enjoying coding in the computer lab. This lab was not as large as the science lab, however, it had an impressively large range of computers. The transparency of the glass panes allowed the luminous light to light up the whole room and it was oddly comforting. Though I faced a lot of problems in coding during online classes, offline classes made me a better coder. My teacher kept guiding me and eventually I too found myself engrossed in coding.

The day was definitely tiring but gave me such beautiful experiences which when revived made me feel eager and comfortable in my awesome new school. After all, who would want a tedious online class, when such a refreshing and fascinating offline class was an option?

-Prerana Moolchandani, Grade 9A, Ekya JP Nagar

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