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In Kathmandu and other urban centers of Nepal, it's increasingly common to hear young people say things like “I’m so depressed” in everyday conversation. These expressions—often heard in cafes or posted on social media—usually refer to temporary moods rather than diagnosed medical conditions. This casual use of mental health terminology reflects a broader trend among Nepali youth, where complex psychological issues are often reduced to catchphrases, especially in digital spaces.

Recent studies show that nearly half of Nepali youth using platforms like Instagram and TikTok report symptoms of anxiety and depression, with over a third experiencing these conditions. The rise of short-form content and influencer-driven narratives has contributed to the oversimplification of mental health. Terms like “OCD” are now casually used to describe habits like organizing a bookshelf, rather than their clinical meaning. An analysis of one million social media posts by Oxford researchers found that discussions around mental illness are 14 percent more likely to trivialize the topic than those about physical health. Equating serious mental conditions with everyday struggles diminishes the gravity of these issues.

Nepal faces substantial challenges in mental health care, with only one psychiatrist and one psychologist per one million people, according to the World Health Organization. This shortage is further complicated by the growing presence of unqualified wellness influencers on social media, who often offer unverified advice and promote viral catchphrases instead of evidence-based support.

Cultural factors also play a role. Western diagnostic categories don’t always align with traditional Nepali understandings of the mind and spirit. As a result, young people may use terms like “bipolar” without fully grasping their meaning, while families may dismiss such conditions as mere trends. According to the Nepal Health Research Council, only a quarter of individuals diagnosed with mental health disorders receive treatment—partly because casual usage of terms like “depression” leads many to mistake clinical symptoms for routine stress.

Another emerging concern is the rise of “illness identity,” where online communities romanticize mental health diagnoses, encouraging young people to adopt these labels as part of their identity. Research from the University of Balamand suggests this can hinder genuine recovery, as authentic appeals for support are often lost in a flood of superficial or performative content.

Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach. Strengthening online counseling protocols to ensure that only credentialed professionals offer mental health services is essential. Incorporating media literacy into school curricula can help students critically evaluate the mental health content they encounter online. Training community health workers to recognize early warning signs is also crucial, especially given the shortage of mental health professionals. Meanwhile, social media platforms should be encouraged to limit sensationalized content and promote accurate, evidence-based information.

Nepali youth have taken important steps toward breaking the silence around mental health. Yet the casual misuse of psychological terms risks trivializing serious conditions and obstructing access to proper care. It’s vital to channel this growing openness into informed dialogue and meaningful support—moving beyond superficial language to foster real understanding and treatment.

Binayak Sapkota

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar

It is high time we wondered why our natural eyesight is hard to maintain today. According to “A systematic review and meta-analysis in Nepal” published in Nepal Journal of Ophthalmology, 8.4 percent of children suffer from refractive errors, with myopia present in 7.1 percent. It’s alarming how many children are losing their ability to see clearly before they even reach adulthood. The issue is wide ranging, from children to the elderly, showing up as myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia and other related conditions. According to WHO, at present at least 2.2bn people around the world have a vision impairment.

The school’s role in a healthy vision

Schools should conduct regular free eye checkups, treat any errors and make accommodations in the learning environment accordingly. Proper and stable lighting should be managed in the classroom avoiding glare and dim lights. Likewise, classroom boards should be placed at a healthy distance, comfortable and clear to see. Seating arrangements should be designed accordingly. Yellow pages textbooks and copies should be encouraged as they reflect less light and provide more eye comfort. Textbooks, even for higher grades should have a large font and a clear contrast which reduces eye strain. 

In New Zealand up to date policies and practices to manage health and safety risks around the use of digital devices for students and staff is required under the health and safety work act 2015. Nowadays, classrooms are equipped with smart screens and projectors. While they can be great learning resources they must not be the alternative to physical learning tools as they contribute to increased screen time. Nepal should be in line with New Zealand and create a certain daily time limit.

Schools should promote healthy habits among students which include eye exercise classes, regular breaks and outdoor time.

When screens become the babysitter

Screens today have become the babysitter. With busy schedules, parents find it easier to keep their child occupied with phones or tablets for hours than to engage or supervise them. Some may know its effect but they see it as the only choice. Even in other situations parents do not encourage non screen activities or limit screen time. Parents themselves remain frequently occupied in social media, setting a bad example. A study conducted in Pokhara published in the Journal of Nepal Health Research Council (2020), found that 48.6 percent of children aged five to nine had screen time exceeding two hours per day, the study highlighted parental behavior as a major contributing factor.

It is crucial to inform parents about the adverse effects of such a habit. Similarly, free community activities, classes and designated play space should be made available to engage in screen free alternatives. But it is also to be considered that even with parental discouragement; children remain glued to screens harming mental, physical and social well-being.

Countries such as China, Sweden and Singapore have already introduced legal rules limiting children’s screen time and device usage. In China, children under 18 are allowed only one hour of online gaming, and only on public holidays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Sweden and Singapore have age based screen time limits.  Nepal must also direct a clear law limiting non- educational and educational screen usage.

We, as a society must prioritize and protect our young generation. That is, the problem is not just limited to people of young ages but now rather a national health concern. Modern necessity and addiction is causing many to spend hours on the internet. Eye safety precautions are lowly maintained in risky jobs and it is treated as a mere problem. Eye problems in the elderly are often neglected and simply dismissed as a natural part of aging. There are various free awareness programmes and eye treatment being conducted in Nepal. Yet, many are unaware and awareness is not being effectively applied. Basic eye care and treatment are not reached in many places. There is still a lot more to be done in the sector of eye health and this is a call for action.

Uma Regmi

Grade X

Shree Bal Uddhar Secondary School

Budhanilkantha Municipality-10, Kapan, Kathmandu

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another. There are two types of migration: internal migration (within a country) and external migration (between countries). There are many causes of migration such as unemployment, climate change, lack of education, natural disasters, lack of health services, and water crisis.

Unemployment: Unemployment is a major cause of migration. People are having difficulty finding jobs. Because of unemployment, people are not getting money for food and clothes.

Lack of education: Lack of education is the major cause of migration. There are good facilities of education in every corner of Nepal. People are coming to Kathmandu from the village.

Lack of health services: Lack of health service is the major cause of migration. There are good facilities of health service in every corner of Nepal. There are no hospitals and health posts in many rural villages.

Climate change: Climate change is the major cause of migration. Due to climate change, there are many natural disasters like floods, landslides etc. So, people are losing their homes, so they migrate from one place to another place.

Natural disaster: Natural disaster is the major cause of migration. It is happening due to climate change. People are losing home due to food, landslides etc.

Water crisis: Water crisis is the major cause of migration. Many people are having difficulty drinking water. Due to climate change the earth is being dry day by day. But many people are wasting water.

There are many ways to solve the migration problem which I have described as follows.

Giving jobs to everyone:  The government should give jobs to everyone. It helps in the finance of our country. There are many benefits. They are reduced poverty and inequality, increased economic growth and improved social well-being.

Building more health posts in rural areas: The government should make more health posts in rural areas. It helps the health status of our country. There are many benefits. They are expand health post network, improve infrastructure and strength healthcare force.

Making industries out of resident areas: We should make factories out of residential areas because it will pollute the city badly. There are many benefits. They decrease noise pollution, save air from getting polluted in cities and decrease traffic.

Proper use of water: We should use water properly. And we should not waste water. Proper use of water is that we should not keep water in a bucket for a long time because it may lead to dengue, appropriate use of water and we should not overuse it.

Giving knowledge to people not to migrate: There are many people who migrate from one place to another place. We should tell them how much our country has lost due to migration.

Prabesh Bhattarai

Grade: VIII

Global Pathashala

Kaushaltar, Bhaktapur 

Our school has assigned a teacher in our school’s dining hall to make sure that nobody wastes food. He is often seen as very assertive about his command. Unless we offer a justifiable explanation for not finishing our meals, he sends us back to our table to clear our plates..

At first, I found this very unfair because he would force us to eat. But later a question came to my mind. Who forces us to take a specific amount of food? The answer justified what he was doing to be right. In fact, two things make us take in more food than we can manage to eat. First, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. Second, we are thoughtless and irrational. If we had expressed our desire to partake a specific amount of food before the kitchen staff, they would certainly have cooperated and given us food accordingly. So, we are the fully responsible people for the wastage of food, aren't we? The wastage of food can be linked with our greedy and apathetic attitudes.

I have seen some people who consider themselves cool at leaving their plate unfinished at public gatherings. Instead, they should consider themselves losers and uncivilized. On the other hand, there are people at parties who pile as many food items on their plate and end up wasting it. It may be because of the greed for food.

So, in order to minimize the food wasting culture, we should start from the individual level by changing our attitudes first. There should also be a culture of shaming the person who shamelessly wastes food. Let us not consider him/her to be cool, shall we? 

Nitisha Basnet

Grade VII

Sanskar Pathshala, Dang