In spite of watching global conflicts on television and social media, teenagers are confused, curious and also excited about war and civil defence drills.
Hyderabad: In spite of watching global conflicts on television and social media, teenagers are confused, curious and also excited about war and civil defence drills.
P. Tej Kiran, an 11-year-old spending his summer holidays in Hyderabad with his grandparents, said he started reading about the drills Operation Sindoor and mock drill and tried to understand the information available on the Internet. "I read about it and tried to explain what I found on the Internet," he told Deccan Chronicle.
When asked about the missile strikes and the drills, eight-year-old Ansha Rajesh said, “I don’t know, I don’t know what it is.”
A few children in a housing community playground were excited about the action and called it “a good thing.” They explained it will be fun and they will turn into superheroes. A girl said she saw a drill video online and explained how people hid in a base after an explosion.
Others spoke about what they would do if a bomb was dropped on their home. “I would tell my mom and hide somewhere,” said one. Another added, “If the house is destroyed, I would go to a strong basement.” When reminded that their house doesn’t have a basement, they paused and they were unsure of what to say next.
Monika D., a 12-year-old, said, “Since morning, my grandparents have been watching the news and talking about the drill. I came out to play with my sister.” Her 14-year-old sister, Lakshmi Priya D, said with a laugh, “Since morning, I've been seeing stories and forwarding messages about Operation Sindoor!”
Children, mostly in Class 7 and around eleven years old, had different levels of understanding. Some knew a " drill" was happening that day but didn’t know why. “If there’s a war in Hyderabad, we might see real bomb blasts like we see in the movies. I can share my experience with my classmates when I go back to school.” said Reshmike R.
