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The Wire
4 days ago
- Health
- The Wire
‘We Want to Live': The Crying Crisis of Residents in Bengal Village Next to a Thermal Power Station
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories 'We Want to Live': The Crying Crisis of Residents in Bengal Village Next to a Thermal Power Station Madhu Sudan Chatterjee 35 minutes ago In Latiabona village, the nearby Meija Thermal Power Station (MTPS) releases toxic fumes every day that have caused a series of skin and lung diseases in the residents. Mejia Thermal power Station at Durlavpur, Bankura district. It is merely 50 metres away from Laitaboni village. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Where temperatures hover around 39-40 degrees Celsius in other parts of the district, in Latiabani village of Bankura district, West Bengal, it has now touched 42 degrees, and it is expected to rise further in the coming days. Breaking the silent, languid afternoon under the intense heat, 67-year-old Magaram Lohar lets out a faint, sizzling sound from his parched lips. His ribs, covered by thin, translucent skin, rise and fall rapidly with each laboured breath. From 10 feet away, the outlines of his ribcage are starkly visible. He struggles to breathe normally; his eyes appear ready to pop out of their sockets. Itching has erupted all over his body, forcing him into an endless cycle of scratching. His entire frame writhes in pain. Just a few feet away, 60-year-old Biswanath Lohar lies on a rope cot, coughing uncontrollably and clutching his chest in agony. The air is thick with toxic smoke, a dense haze blanketing the sky. Every breath carries this poisoned air into the lungs of the villagers, and when the wind picks up, coal dust and fly ash settle across the village like a shroud. Biswanath Lohar, 60, suffers from lung and skin diseases Even at noon, the sky darkens as though twilight has fallen. This is not an occasional occurrence – this is the daily reality in Latiaboni. Latiaboni is adjacent to the Mejia Thermal Power Station (MTPS), a unit under the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), situated in Durlavpur village within the Gangajalghati block of Bankura district. The smoke rises from the chimneys of the MTPS, just 100 metres away, while ash billows from two ash ponds located a mere 50 metres from the village. Located 192 kilometres west of Kolkata, MTPS is the largest thermal power generation plant in eastern India. It has the infrastructure to produce 2,340 megawatts of electricity daily through eight operating units. Currently, it produces an average of 2,000 megawatts. Once home to nearly 300 families, Latiaboni has seen half its population leave, forced to flee the choking pollution to protect their loved ones. Today, the village is engulfed in an eerie silence. Latiaboni village, situated within 50 metres of the MTPS plant. 'In the last five years, over 60 people have died in Latiaboni. None of them passed away due to natural causes. They died slowly, of severe lung diseases,' said Nimai Majhi, a resident and president of the Latiaboni People Welfare Society. A 37-year-old primary school teacher, Nimai lives in Uporpara, the central area of the village, where most residents belong to the middle class and are relatively financially stable. However, the situation is far worse in Namopara, the lower end of the village, where the marginalised, primarily daily wage labourers, live, most of them from Scheduled Castes, struggling to survive in hand-to-mouth conditions. 'We don't have proper homes to live in, nor do we get to eat even one full meal a day. Where will we go for shelter? We are somehow surviving by forcefully inhaling the toxic smoke and ash from the Mejia Thermal Plant,' says Magaram Lohar, who has suffered from chronic lung and skin diseases for years. Magaram Lohar has been suffering from lung and skin disease for several years. Two years ago, he lost his wife, Rebi Lohar, to a lung condition as he could not afford her treatment. He now lives with the uncertainty of whether he will be the next. 'We have nothing to do here except count deaths. Come back in two years, and this place will have turned into a desert,' says Bishwanath Lohar. Nimai says, 'Those who had some financial capacity have already left their ancestral homes to settle elsewhere.' History of the MTPS 'The Left student and youth organisations held a massive rally in Mejia on May 8, 1982, demanding the construction of a power plant in the adjoining Mejia and Gangajalghati blocks in North Bankura,' says Amiya Patra, then district secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). He says that, driven by this demand, an intense movement had spread across the district. Additionally, the then Left Front government strongly lobbied the Union government to establish a thermal power plant in the area. On March 20, 1986, a formal notification was issued for the construction of the Mejia Thermal Power Station (MTPS) of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) at Durlavpur. 'At that time, the state government, Bankura Zilla Parishad, and local panchayats cooperated actively during the land acquisition process. There were no major disputes,' says Jyansankar Mitra, former Sabhadhipati (chief) of the Bankura Zilla Parishad. A new ash pond of MTPS under construction near Latiaboni village. A total of 2,633 acres were acquired for the project – 1,000 acres were forest land, while the remainder comprised agricultural land and human settlements. Several villages and lands, including those in Latiaboni, Khatiyala, Machhbandha, Ghatakgram, Amdanda, Durlavpur, Parrar Gram, Gonsaigram and Simula, were included within the plant premises. Villages like Ghatakgram and Amdanda no longer exist today. Families whose lands and homes were taken were compensated with the then-prevailing market value and were allotted plots in nearby areas for resettlement. Additionally, DVC offered employment to one member of each affected family who lost agricultural or vacant land. In total, 520 people received jobs under this arrangement at MTPS. After trial runs in 1995, the MTPS began electricity generation in 1996. Initially, it generated 630 megawatts of electricity. Over time, eight units were developed, making it the largest thermal power plant under DVC. Now, the plant supplies electricity to several industries in Bankura, the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company, and neighbouring states. In the past, it also supplied power to Bangladesh. Living with the chemicals As evening descends, the area lights up brightly, but at what cost? The people living around the power plant are paying a heavy price for this so-called development. When will their darkness fade? Speaking on condition of anonymity, an engineer at MTPS explains to The Wire: 'Electricity is generated by burning coal, and chemical oil is used to fuel the furnaces. After generation, coal ash mixed with wastewater is expelled through pipes. This results in toxic ash-water.' After electricity generated by burning coal at MTPS, the remnants of coal is turned into ash. This ash is discharged through several pipes from the thermal plant. During the process, sufficient water is added to it so that ash can flow out smoothly. The place where this mix of ash and water falls is called an ash pond. Polluted water mixed with ash from Mejia thermal power station flowing into an ash pond adjacent to Latiaboni village. There are currently two ash ponds spanning approximately eight kilometres. A third one is under construction. Most days, this ash-water is discharged into the ponds through several large pipes. 'If you walk in this ash water for just half an hour, your lower body will begin to itch, rashes will break out, and skin irritation will follow,' he says. Just two days ago, amid the extreme heat, it was observed that while ash-mixed water continuously flowed into the ponds, groups of local women and youth were seen filtering the ash-water using pieces of cloth – a process locally known as fena chanka (foam filtering). This process yields a powdery substance called cenosphere, used in nickel production. Locals sell it to outside traders at Rs. 250 per bag. 'There are no other job opportunities in this area. How else can we sustain our families? We are forced to extract cenosphere from this toxic waste,' says one of the women engaged in the work. Sonali and Lotika Lohar spend their days collecting cenosphere rocks from ash ponds in the area. The emissions from the plant have not only polluted the groundwater but have also led to severe health hazards. Agricultural lands in multiple villages – Jamgari, Radhakrishnapur, Bankdoho, Pheguyasol, Lotiaboni and Nityanandapur – have been devastated. A few years ago, following prolonged agitation and the efforts of former member of parliament, Basudeb Acharia, DVC provided one-time compensation to the affected farmers. Agricultural land now no longer in use in Latiaboni. It has been destroyed due to the polluted groundwater. Today, more than a thousand hectares of agricultural land in these areas are covered in ash. Only wild weeds grow there now. 'Farmers have repeatedly demanded the removal of ash from their lands. Under pressure from protests, DVC started providing yearly compensation to farmers,' says Madanmohan Dang of Khatiyala, in unison with Fatik Layek of Radhakrishnapur, Kamaksha Layek of Machhbandha, Kanai Ray and Krishnachandra Ray of Subiyara, and Banomali Ray of Jamgari. Banamali Ray stated that the irrigation pond in Jamgari village – constructed by the Left government in 1984 – has now been entirely filled with ash, leaving no trace of water. People are questioning whether the state government intends to remain indifferent to the issue or if there is a deliberate silence for reasons unknown. According to sources, over eight wagons of coal are used daily to generate electricity at the plant, and more than 7,000 tonnes of fly ash are dumped into two ash ponds each day. These ponds are now overflowing, and even a slight breeze causes ash to disperse over a wide area. Every day, the ash is taken out of the MTPS ash pond and dumped in dumpers. 'Due to consistent mass movements by the local population, the MTPS authorities have been compelled to begin removing the accumulated ash in recent years,' says Manik Dang, a resident of Ghatiyala, and Nimai Maji of Latiaboni. Achinta Das, general secretary of the CITU-affiliated All DVC Contractor Workers' Union, says 'Currently, around 300 dumpers remove ash from the two ponds daily. It is sold to cement factories, brick kilns, and is used for road construction. But a significant amount of ash still remains. We have repeatedly demanded more ash ponds and a scientific system to filter the ash before it is released.' The ash being carried from the MTPS ash pond to the dumpers. Despite some removal efforts, huge mounds of ash continue to remain. A dumper contractor from Malda mentioned that many dumpers have now been diverted to Durgapur for the barrage repair work, reducing the number of active dumpers in the area to below 300. As a result, even a mild storm causes ash to blanket nearby villages like Latiaboni. Ghost town Two days ago, when this writer visited Latiaboni village, it appeared like a ghost town. Roads were deserted and most houses were locked. 'More than a hundred families, including those of Amiya Mandal, Shyamapada Mandal, Biswanath Mandal, and Bablu Mahato, have already left. The health of residents like Mrityunjoy Maji, Sadananda Maji, and Nantu Maji has deteriorated so much that doctors advised them to relocate. They have also moved away,' said Nimai Maji. During the discussion, several women – Dharubala Maji, Munmun Maji, Pinki Maji and Mampi Maji – gathered to express their despair: 'We cannot allow our children to live and die in this village. It has become a death trap. The fly ash and toxic emissions have made life unbearable.' Latiaboni has no market, tea stall, or sweet shop. Middle-aged Rabi Mandal sits idly in his small gumti (hut stall), where he used to sell cigarettes, bidis, betel nuts, and chocolates. 'There are no customers. Most people have left the village. Look around – who is left to buy anything?' he says, adding, 'We are suffering from fever, headaches, respiratory illnesses and skin diseases.' A deserted street in Latiaboni village. Residents say that although a medical clinic has been set up by MTPS, a doctor visits only once a week, and medicines are not available. An elderly resident, Garubala Maji, claims that people have stopped marrying their daughters into this village. 'No one wants their daughters to live and die in this toxic environment,' Biswanath Mandal adds. 'In the past five years, over 60 people – including Kalipada Mandal (60), Ajoy Maji (60), Subash Hazra (50), Sunil Lohar (45), Hiralal Paramanik (70), Rebi Lohar (50), and Nupur Mandal (17) – have died, all from respiratory ailments,' Nimai Maji says. Pinki Maji, a housewife, adds that most residents suffer from skin diseases. 'Even washed clothes get covered with a layer of ash immediately,' she said. Samiran Sengupta, a former health worker from Bankura and general secretary of the environmental organisation Amra Sabai Ekshathe, says, 'We have received information from Bankura Medical College and Hospital that the majority of dermatology patients from Lotiaboni suffer from allergic dermatitis.' Meanwhile, Nimai says that the Lotiaboni People's Welfare Society, which he is also a part of, has repeatedly demanded that the village be relocated. 'There is no other solution,' he says. However, he adds that while the MTPS authorities have discussed the issue several times, no concrete steps have been taken to resolve it. Residents of Latiaboni, still trying to survive amid worsening conditions, voice their concerns, saying: 'We want to live. We want DVC to rehabilitate us as early as possible. We are not against the power plant. But the district administration must take immediate and appropriate action. Otherwise, our very existence will soon be wiped out.' Magaram Lohar standing in the backdrop of the thermal power plant. What environmentalists say 'Thermal power plants, especially those using coal, are major sources of pollution that severely impact air, water, and overall environmental health. They release greenhouse gases, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter,' says Joydeb Chandra, a renowned environmentalist and assistant general secretary of the Paschim Banga Bigyan Mancha state committee. Stressing the urgent need for proper installation and 24/7 operation of Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP) at the chimney outlets to trap toxic particles, he adds, 'There have been frequent complaints that the ESP machines are often non-operational.' Meanwhile, Joydeb Chandra recommends extensive afforestation using neem, tamarind, blackcurrant, mango, jackfruit, and banyan trees across the affected areas. 'These trees not only prevent polluting particles from settling on the ground but also play a vital role in carbon absorption,' he says. He assures that Paschim Banga Bigyan Mancha would soon initiate dialogue with the MTPS authorities on implementing these measures. With no work, people of Latiaboni village spend their days sitting idle. Response from DVC's MTPS authorities and district administration When informed about the dire situation in Latiaboni and surrounding areas due to pollution from the MTPS, Pradyuman Prasad Sah, senior chief general manager and head of the project at the station, states, 'Experts from the Pollution Control Board have visited the site. Based on their recommendations, we are installing new, environmentally friendly chimneys. Three have already been installed, and the remaining will be installed in phases.' He claims that the smoke that will come out of these newly constructed chimneys will not cause any pollution. When asked about the possible relocation of Lotiaboni village, Sah says, 'This matter falls under the jurisdiction of the district administration and the state government.' On this issue, additional district magistrate (general) Nakul Mahato says, 'If DVC's MTPS submits a formal proposal for the relocation of the village, the administration will consider it. However, as of now, the district administration has not yet taken any steps or decisions regarding the relocation.' All photos are by Madhu Sudan Chatterjee. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Thermal Injustice: 20,000 Indians Died in Heatwaves In 20 Years – Caste a Key Factor In Andhra, Arogyasri Data Reveals Alarming Surge in Alcohol-Related Ailments Reclaiming India's Soft Power is the Only Path to Global Leadership Pollution Markets May Hold Promise but Regulatory Mechanisms Remain Crucial in India Trump's Drive for Ocean Bed Mining Threatens Law of the Sea Violent Pakistan Storms Trigger Floods, Landslides Killing At Least 10 'My Mother Is Not Pakistani': Bengal Family Shaken as 70-Year-Old Faces Deportation TMC Silent as Anti-War Efforts Are Targeted in Bengal What the Young Bengal Achieved and Why it is Largely Unacknowledged View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jumping to jealousy has trashed this romance
Opinion DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: It's been like seeing a ghost since I got back to work. I can see my recent girlfriend, but she acts like I don't exist. I can tell she doesn't like working here anymore and her unhappy face makes me feel nervous and sick to my stomach. She's been sitting where she asked to be moved to the day after she got home from her holiday in Quebec and heard some news about me through the grapevine. I took a friend of hers out for a fancy dinner while she was away in Montreal with a single girlfriend of hers from here and two others from Quebec. I was feeling jealous and thought she had to be cheating on me when she was away. Last week the friend who travelled with her told me what a jerk I was for not believing in my true-blue girlfriend. So, I tried to apologize to my ex, but all she had to say to me was, 'You wouldn't believe me and I have no time for men like you.' How can I get her back? I love her so much. She won't take my calls and ignores my texts. — Want Her Back, downtown Winnipeg Dear Want Her Back: The problem is she doesn't want you back with the way your jealous mind has led you into bad decisions. It's time to move on and also to look into what's driving your destructive jealous thoughts. See if your workplace health plan covers any personal counselling, and even it doesn't, you might want make the investment anyway, so you don't repeat this. As for your co-worker ex-girlfriend, stay off her case, and if you do have to communicate or work together as part of your job, be a professional and stick to the task at hand. Who knows? If you take your introspective work seriously, maybe things will warm up between the two of down the road, but don't get too caught up in that possibility. Plus, workplace romances can be difficult, even at the best of times. If you find it too hard to see your former partner on a daily basis, you may want to consider transferring to a different part of your workplace operation (if that's even a possibility) or think about finding a different job. Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: My new boyfriend touches me like he thinks I'm a china doll who might break — but I'm not. I'm a seriously athletic woman who also loves a real romp. How can I tell my guy that without sounding like a female beast? — Not Fragile, Crescentwood Dear Not Fragile: Before your next intimate encounter, smile and tell him, 'Let me take charge this time.' Then show him the degree of touch and enthusiasm you really like. Maybe on another occasion when you're relaxing before lovemaking, tell him something else you would enjoy. Some cautious people need to get information or instruction on what's welcome before they can act, so help him out a bit. Nobody should want to disappoint their lover. Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@ or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Maureen ScurfieldAdvice columnist Maureen Scurfield writes the Miss Lonelyhearts advice column. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'X-Files' alum, 56, Stuns on Cannes Red Carpet in Bold Look
Gillian Anderson is a vision in green on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. The X-Files alum, 56, looked every bit the movie star at the premiere of The Mastermind, in which Challengers star Josh O'Connor stars as an art thief. With her blond hair tied back, Anderson wore a rich, green floor-length gown that flowed downward from the waist. She paired the look with a diamond necklace and soft makeup. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 While Anderson rose to stardom in the role of Dana Scully in the legendary Fox series, she's made waves in recent years for roles in shows like Sex Education, in which she plays a sex therapist. In September of 2024, she released a book, Want, an anonymous collection of sex fantasies, which she edited. The anthology was so successful that Anderson recently announced a follow-up, the Guardian reported. As for a return to X-Files, Anderson recently weighed in. With word on the street that Sinners director Ryan Coogler is eyeing a remake, Anderson had a few thoughts. In a recent appearance on ITV1's This Morning, she shared, "I spoke to [Coogler], and what I said was, 'If anyone were to do it, I think you are the perfect person, and best of luck." As to whether she might appear in the remake in her legendary role as Agent Scully, Anderson said she told Coogler to "call me" if he had any good ideas for the character,Parade previously wrote.'X-Files' alum, 56, Stuns on Cannes Red Carpet in Bold Look first appeared on Parade on May 23, 2025
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
"We Do Not Need This": 31 Things Millennial Parents Deal With That Their Boomer Parents Could Never Have Imagined
Recently, millennial parents shared things they have to deal with that their parents didn't, and it gave me a lot of food for thought. Here are some of the top responses: 1."The expectation that work never ends and you should be reachable after work hours and weekends." —Beberuth1131 "The problem is that everyone is doing it. So you look lazy if you don't, or you fall behind because everyone else is doing more than they should. We gotta all tone it down in unison." —I_Want_A_Ribeye 2."I've been stressed about losing my job since 2008. My boomer dad could quit his job back in the day and have another full-time job the next day, enough to raise a family on without a high school diploma." —No_Refrigerator_2489 3."Having grandparents who don't help. My grandma helped, and I spent months with my grandparents during the year." —SandiegoJack "And heaven forbid that you want them to watch the grandkids on YOUR schedule. They need their free time to play golf or socialize and all those things they left you with the grandparents to do.... Apparently, we have to find other solutions if we want a social life." —ATATMom 4."My kids expect me to play with them ALL the time. I'm pretty sure I wasn't allowed to talk to my dad while he was watching TV." —Dadbod646 "I was allowed at commercials after I waited for whichever parent it was to acknowledge me. But I was not allowed to interrupt while the show was on or while they were on the phone." —LostButterflyUtau 5."Prices of stuff in general. My mom managed to raise three kids on one income at a gas station, and we always had everything we needed. Did she struggle? Of course, but it was still doable. It is beyond impossible now, even at my $20/hour paycheck." —Old-Capital5079 "True. Situations like this that I remember from when I was a kid occur to me fairly regularly. I am raising three kids on one income as a single mom. I am an engineer. The fact that my friend's mom did this as a waitress in the '90s says a lot about the state of the economy." —whatsmyname81 6."Momfluencers." —Puzzleheaded-Sphinx "Social media in general!" —ATATMom "Back then, it was my paternal grandma judging my mom face to face." —nimo202 7."The amount of school dress-up days. It's upwards of 40+ a year at our district. Flashlight day? Who has time for that?" —Ok-Satisfaction5694 8."Sports are so different now. I'm 43. My kid is 9 and plays hockey. Youth sports have gotten nuts. When I was a kid, you played hockey in the winter. You played for your town's team. You had a practice each week and a game each week. Now there are spring leagues and summer leagues. There are 'competitive' triple-A programs that cost tens of thousands of dollars a year. Practices are 2+ times a week or more." "I've talked to other parents who are already talking about college scholarships or going pro... It's nuts. Like you don't HAVE to sign up for all of it, but once you put your kid in a sport, there is SO MUCH pressure to do more. I used hockey as an example, but I have friends with kids who've had the same experiences in baseball, cheerleading, gymnastics, swimming, soccer..." —seanofkelley "OMG, yes. The pressure is insane and not age-appropriate at all. My daughter is 8 (almost 9), and we are experiencing the same thing. This also leads to intense overscheduling and burnout. So many downstream negative impacts. I am with you!" —october42014 9."Play dates... apparently nobody can be trusted enough to watch your kid until they're like 8 or 9." —JP6- "Yep. It's taken persuading to get exchange playdates going with the neighbors. I struggle with the expectation that if kids are playing, the adults are coming over with them. Let's just swap throughout the week so we can get breaks!" —MysteriousCurrent676 10."The whole Covid situation was such an enormous clusterfuck. My parents never had to worry about what to do if some fucking illness shuts down all the schools." —kiimothy 11."The fact that technology is so integrated with school. I can't keep my kids off screens because that's how they do 90% of their schoolwork. Their schools start providing Chromebooks in kindergarten. Half of their assignments require watching YouTube videos. They have to fill out Google Forms for school events. And my kids' band director pushes out music and drill on Google Drive. I constantly have to find new ways to try to give them access to what they need, but still limit the constant unfettered access to the internet." —Unhappy-Dimension681 "This pisses me off. My wife and I have struggled mightily to keep the kids off screens when giving them the phone or iPad would have been the easy way out. Now, in first grade, an iPad is part of the curriculum." —TastyOwl27 12."Social media and keeping-up-with-the-Joneses. Almost every 8-year-old in my daughter's class has a cellphone OR an Apple Watch. It's hard for my wife and me to explain to our daughter why we don't think it is a good idea for her yet. There was even some TikTok drama at her school that got the district's attention, where some 5th graders were randomly matching up 5th graders as if they were dating." —dr_z0idberg_md "Yes! Relatable!! Lots of 8-year-old drama at school over their cell phones. I think my daughter will understand when she is older. Right now, it feels like she is left out. Giving kids this age unlimited access to the internet is a huge mistake for parents. They will eventually regret it." —spydagrrl 13."Peanut butter is virtually outlawed for kids in public places. I ate a PB&J sandwich almost every day at school." —matow07 14."Vaccination rates. I remember most of us didn't get the chicken pox vaccine because it was so new. But now parents are refusing to give their kids very old, tried and true vaccines." —EngineeringStill6159 15."I sure would like to be able to purchase a house. My sister and I were the first college graduates in our family, and neither of us has bought a house yet. We're both married, in our thirties, and have up until very recently all had dual incomes." —Neither_Bed_1135 "This. I think renting is far more normal now than owning, and so neighbors drift in and out vs when I was a kid and had the same working poor neighbors for over a decade or more. So there are not the same cohesive groups of neighborhood kids to hang out with for a lot of today's kids." —Appropriate-Fun-922 16."I'm entering the phase of parenthood where I'm being asked to download apps for each of my child's activities." —brzantium "Yes. I have the band app, and I'm in about 12 groups for things my kids are part of. It's maddening, but at least they are all on the same app." —simplekindoflifegirl 17."Raising kids when both parents work full-time. There's the stuff you know is coming, like scheduling, debating who is taking off to get the sick kid, etc. Then there's being too exhausted to have proper sit-down meals. Too exhausted to fight them to eat vegetables and fruit. And worst of all, fighting with screens ALL THE TIME." —walker6168 18."THE GUILT. That's my whole answer. I just don't believe that parents back then were constantly made to feel like they were fucking up their kids lives the way we are." —LPow 19."Everything is bad all the time? Like I was talking to my mom about this, and maybe it's just the 24-hour news cycle, but can't I just get a year or two where things are not in crisis all the time? She swears that when she was my age, she was not in constant anxiety about the country/world." —SoColdInAlaska "Yeah, the crisis was a 2x/day thing. You listened to the radio or watched the morning news while you got ready for work, and then got the update in the evening. If you missed it, you missed it, you weren't obligated to marinate in it!" —professorpumpkins 20."A $3,300 mortgage. My parents had their house bought for them in 1988 for like $75k. They only repaid a portion of that to my grandparents. Now my dad is in a very comfortable financial position (see: wealthy parents), and he won't extend the same kind of help even at a fraction of the total of our mortgage. Cool." —JumpintheFiah "My parents' house was $35,000. Ours was 10 times that much when we bought it 10 years ago, and we definitely do not make 10 times what my parents made. Not to mention the rising costs of homeowners insurance, health insurance, and literally everything else." —cassiecas88 21."School drop off and pick up. I walked to school and home from school as an elementary school kid. Now, if your elementary school kid tries to walk to the school door without a parent, they'd be on the phone with CPS before your kid's butt crossed the threshold. Walking to/from school is still a common practice in other countries, but sadly not here anymore." —TrickyOperation6115 "The drop-off/pick-up car line is the thing of nightmares. A level of hell Dante didn't know about." —TrickyOperation6115 22."Online bullying. Kids can't escape that stuff if they have a phone or an iPad or a computer." —Troitbum22 "Don't even get me started on the bullying. Someone stalked my daughter's social media pages and set up an Instagram dedicated to bullying her. It turned out to be her ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. She broke up with him and blocked both him, the girl, and the anonymous page, and it stopped, but can you imagine? They were even making comments about me and had gone through all of my socials as well." —OrdinarySubstance491 23."When I was a kid, my parents hardly interacted with us on a daily basis. We'd have some meals together and specific activities like church, going to a movie, or whatever. But they mostly did their own thing, and the kids figure out their own lives, including getting together with friends, getting lunch and snacks, etc. These days, parents are expected to be there supervising their children 24/7, arranging play dates, planning menus, basically scheduling every second of their days." "I try not to overdo it myself, but I see a lot of my parent friends will not leave their kids alone for even a moment. It's wild to me. My mom didn't even know where I was most of my childhood, but if you don't have two eyes on your kids at all times, now someone will call CPS. It's not just the parents, society has completely changed its expectations of us too." —Delicious_Tea3999 24."That I would need to buy laptops for both kids; it's a need in the school they go to. My parents just needed to buy paper and pens and call it a day." —TiKi_Effect 25."Streaming, in the sense of my kids' favorite show is always on for as long as they want, and they can rewatch it as much as they want. I love that it's easy for them to find their favorites and dive in. But it also means they don't get bored and wander off to find something else to do. I remember as a kid, children's TV kinda wrapped up midmorning. Which is when I would find a book, get out some toys, or go outside. Now I have to actively peel my kids off a screen." —AgitatedEconomist192 26."Telling my teens not to do something, or to really think about it first, not because it's bad or whatever, but because there will likely be good quality video evidence that can come back to haunt them. They have so much more opportunity than I ever did, but less freedom in some ways." —abucketofsquirrels 27."Putting a firm boundary on everyone that they are not allowed to post pictures of my children online." —booksandcheesedip 28."Active shooter drills." —dherves "The fear that when I drop my first grader off at school there might be a shooting at his school." —SamuraiZucchini 29."The elaborate children's parties. I went to a private middle school in the late '90s, so I had friends WAY richer than us, but the birthday party was still just pizza and a sleepover and NSYNC sing-along. We took our 3-year-old to a wealthy classmate's party this year and it was HORRIFYING." "Two-tiered cake, balloon wall for photos, table-scaped kids' table with actual glassware, a buffet of foods toddlers don't normally like (pasta salad with black olives, salad with balsamic vinegar), and the party favor was...a CUSTOM CHARM BRACELET. I was so uncomfortable the whole time. It's just way too much, especially for such young kids. We do not need this insane pressure." —Traditional_Pitch_57 30."When I was a kid, there was paranoia about strangers on the internet. Now I'm told it's alienating kids from their peers if I don't let them film themselves and post it online." —pocket_arsenal finally, "The fear of what kind of crazy technology will be there when they're teenagers. I sure hope social media dies and falls off a cliff. Fuck Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. I'm sure it will be something diabolical, I'm just not sure what." —Throwaway4536265 Parents, is there anything you would add? Tell us all about it in the comments or via the anonymous form below:
Perth Now
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Gillian Anderson will never quit acting
Gillian Anderson will never quit acting to focus on her other projects. 'The X-Files' star has ventured into other areas in recent years - releasing a number of books and launching her own drinks company called G Spot - but Gillian is adamant she won't be stepping away from the screen because she never "gives up" on anything even if it seems too "hard". When asked if she plans to step away from acting, she told The Sunday Times newspaper: "No … there have been other things where I've thought, 'Oh my God, this is too hard. If I'd known this was this hard, I probably wouldn't have ventured into it'." She went on to admit setting up her drinks company was a major challenge, but she refuses to give up on it. She added: "If I'd known that having a drinks company was as full-on a job as it is, I probably would have said no, thank you. "But it is what it is and I don't give up." Gillian released a book called 'Want' in 2024 which was a collection of women's sexual fantasies and she's currently working on a follow-up. She recently urged women to send in their submissions for book number two. Gillian was quoted by the Guardian newspaper as saying: "Whether you're the Queen of Kink or have never been kissed, whether you've read 'Want' cover to cover, or are just hearing about it now, I want to hear your favourite fantasies – and this time, I want to hear it all." Those wishing to contribute to the book have until May 23 to submit their essay. 'Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous' collated 174 contributions after Gillian asked people to "tell me what you think about sex". She split £500 ($665) for every letter that made it into the book between two charities - Women for Women International, which provides support and education for women in 17 countries who have suffered the impact of conflict, and War Child, which aims to give children affected by war a "safe future". Donations will also be made to charity for contributions to the second book. Gillian was inspired to launch the project by Nancy Friday's 1973 tome 'My Secret Garden: Women's Sexual Fantasies', which also collected women's fantasies through letters, as well as tapes and one-on-one interviews.
