Are You a Delusional Indian Youth? Part 1: Late-Night Lifestyle

If it is 2 AM in the night and you are watching a Netflix series, scrolling your phone, or hanging out in a pub or disco, you can safely call yourself a “Delusional Indian Youth”.

So, delusional youth are those young people who are living their lives in some illusions. In Hindi, you can refer to it as “Bhram”.

In other words, you can say that they are just unaware of reality.

I am not saying that all of today’s youth are delusional. I am excluding conscious and aware youth from my views.

In part 1, I am writing about youth’s love for late-night lifestyle and how it can impact them. To understand the delusion better, let’s discuss the late-night lifestyle and what reality check says.

Indian Youth Love Late-Night Glamour

As you notice, most Indian youth love staying awake till late at night for different reasons.

Young people hang around shopping malls, clubs, cafes, or restaurants late at night.

One of the reasons behind it is the glamourous nightlife one can witness in metro cities.

The second reason is that many clubs and discos operate late at night. Many events are organized after dark.

The foremost reason is that this lifestyle gets glamorized on social media, music videos, and movies.

Many influencers and celebrities they follow religiously influence youth with their night lifestyle.

So, Indian youth may feel that if their idols are enjoying the night and looking cool, why can’t they do the same?

Delusion hits Indian youth when they try to copy the night lifestyle of their idols, like influencers or celebrities. They don’t understand the complete picture of how it will cost them.

If they do understand the consequences, they want to ignore it. They want to live life just NOW. Many music videos and movies believe in this MANTRA.

Young people relate the night lifestyle with freedom and excitement.

The more they see, the more they crave it and want to live this lifestyle.

Indian Youth Believe in Night Owl Genius Myth

There is a prevalent myth in India that people who work late at night are genius, creative, and productive. Such people are known as night owls.

So many Indian youth may think that if they also study or work at night, they will also be recognized as night owls.

I understand that this may work for some youth, but not for all. Nature has created nights for sleep, nor for being awake.

So if you sacrifice sleep, It comes with a cost.

The Psychological Effects of Living Late-Night Lifestyle

Indian youth are in the delusion that there is everything rosy about living the late-night lifestyle.

But this is not the case. Let’s discuss what are the psychological effects:

1. Late-Night Lifestyle Disrupts Sleep Patterns

Let’s take an example to understand this.

Amit is a freelance app coder. He loves his late-night work sessions. He believes night sessions are very productive, so he generally works till dawn.

But in reality, he feels constant fatigue due to irregular sleep patterns. Due to lack of sleep, he does sloppy work, commits frequent mistakes, and gets not-so-good feedback from his clients.

Amit is in the delusion that he equates late-night work with better productivity. He might be able to work more but the quality of work is suffering.

Further, he ignores the importance and benefits of a good night’s sleep.

2. Late-Night Lifestyle Increases Stress and Anxiety

Let’s take an example to understand this.

Shweta is a high school student and is preparing for her final exams. So she stays up late to study for exams.

She believes she concentrates and focuses more on her studies at night time. And she also thinks that night study sessions will help her get good grades.

However, due to lack of sleep and constant pressure, she is suffering from heightened anxiety and stress.

Similarly, many Indian youth subject themselves to prolonged wakefulness. And it can elevate stress hormones like cortisol, resulting in chronic stress.

3. Late-Night Lifestyle Increases Social Isolation

Let’s take the example of Avi, an avid game player.

As he loves playing online games with friends late into the night, he stays awake and interacts with them daily.

He becomes addicted to these online sessions.

Eventually, he starts missing his daytime friends and other social interactions that happen in the daytime.

As he misses more and more daytime social interactions, he starts feeling isolated and lonely.

Similarly, Indian youth who engage in late-night activities miss out on daytime social interactions.

As the delusional Indian youth sleep irregularly, they find it difficult to maintain social commitments. It can lead to social anxiety, and they may show withdrawal symptoms.

4. Late-Night Lifestyle Affects Academic and Work Performance

Let’s paint a picture: Manya is a high school student, and her exams are approaching.

So, she starts waking up late at night and cramming for exams. She believes that nighttime is the best time to study, and she is maximizing her study time this way.

Her grades suffer due to poor concentration and memory recall during exams.

I can confirm this as I have done the same for my board exams, and my grades suffered.

Many delusional Indian youth reduce their productivity and efficiency due to a lack of sleep.

When we don’t sleep enough, it affects our cognitive function.

Sleep deprivation can lead to inconsistent performance and fatigue. It can hinder your academic goals or career growth.

5. Late-Night Lifestyle Can Lead to Mental Health Issues

Staying awake late can lead to mental health issues. If you don’t have one, this lifestyle can create one. If you have any existing mental health issues, it can exacerbate it.

Indian youth are delusional that irregular sleep time does not affect them. They think that daylight has no importance for their well-being.

They are wrong and take things for granted. Irregular sleep and lack of daylight exposure can contribute to feelings of sadness and depression.

Due to a late-night lifestyle, there is a greater risk of developing mood swings and other disorders such as bipolar disorder.

6. Late-Night Lifestyle Results in Physical Health Decline

Living a late-night lifestyle impacts youth psychologically and physically, as the two are closely connected.

Indian youth who maintain irregular sleep patterns tend to engage less in physical activities, which can lead to weight gain and obesity.

They often overlook the fact that quality sleep is essential for a strong immune system.

Furthermore, insufficient sleep can cause constant tiredness and fatigue, negatively affecting their daily functioning and overall well-being.

Final Thoughts

I understand that as a youth, you may feel that the late-night lifestyle is fun and exciting.

But you have to keep in mind that sleep deprivation and irregular sleep timings have significant psychological and physiological effects on you.

In the short run, you may feel that lack of sleep is not affecting you in any way, but in the long run, it does affect you.

So, aim for a good sleep routine. Limit your screen time near bedtime.

Work on finding a balance between late-night socializing and daytime interactions to avoid social isolation.

In the end, prioritize self-care first. Engage in more physical activity and eat healthily. So, focus on these habits to live a good life.

The part-2 in this series is on the impact of social media craze on Indian youth. Please read it here.