Shark Tank India judge Namita Thapar stirred a fresh debate after linking Netflix’s Adolescence to the dangers of a 70-90 hour work week. As a mother of two teenage boys, the executive director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals reflected on the show’s struggles of a teenager and underlined how parenting will take a hit if parents are expected to clock 70-90 hours a week.
“Kids are fragile. They idolise their parents. If they feel they are not living up to their parents’ expectations and that their parents are ‘ashamed of them’, they have massive pent-up negativity. This, combined with bullying by peers, can explode either through 1) kids taking it out on themselves- hating themselves, developing low self-esteem and mental health issues or 2) kids taking it out on others. The important part here is that parents may have no bad intent and may not even be aware,” Thapar wrote on LinkedIn.
She pointed out how in the show while Jamie Miller idolised his dad who wanted to toughen him up by exposing him to football and boxing, he “sucked at both” and felt that his father looked away as he was ashamed. “His father never communicated and clarified that that wasn’t true,” wrote Thapar.
She also drew comparisons to her childhood and life. “In my case, I had a thick voice, facial hair, very tomboyish, and hated rituals or anything overly feminine like nail paint, mehendi etc as a teen. My mom got worried, made me take singing classes, Kathak classes, walk with a book on my head in an attempt to make me more ‘feminine’… perfectly sweet soul, perfectly good intent but it left scars,” she wrote in the post.
She added that her father felt she didn’t attend a good enough school. “Tried moving me to a better one, didn’t succeed, I felt he was ‘ashamed.’ I could tell you many other stories but I won’t bore you. Bottomline, 2 good parents, great intent but their actions led to years of low self-esteem and emotional eating. I recovered and got stronger. Not everyone does…”
As “a tragedy and reality”, Thapar concluded that “in Jamie’s case, he was locked in his room and his dad started working 70/90 hours a day and these signs were missed”. “If we choose to bring a child in this world, let’s ensure we give them TIME… that we have work-life balance to catch these signs early and course correct. Say NO to 70-hour weeks, or if you want that life, say NO to being a parent! I rest my case…Hope the proponents of 70/90 hour a week watch this show,” wrote Thapar.
we choose to bring a child in this world, let’s ensure we give them TIME… that we have
work-life balance to catch these signs early and course correct. Say NO to 70-hour weeks, or
if you want that life, say NO to being a parent! I rest my case…Hope the proponents of
70/90 hour a week watch this show,” wrote Thapar.
The 70-90 work week debate was initially stirred by Infosys founder NR Narayan
Murthy, who urged employees to prolong their working hours for better economic
growth. The opinion soon divided entrepreneurs, and notable personalities
shared their two cents.
On the surface, a 70-90 hour work week may appear as a sign of dedication or ambition.
“But through a child’s eyes, it can often be experienced as absence. Teenagers may begin to
withdraw when parents are always busy, tired, or distracted. They may feel like they are
asking for too much or that their emotions are unimportant,” Dr Chandni Tugnait,
psychotherapist, director, Gateway of Healing, pointed out.
Teenagers rarely say it out loud, but they observe everything. “They notice the sighs
when they try to talk, the dinners missed, the moments when attention is divided.
Over time, they may seek validation, attention, or comfort elsewhere,” said Dr
Tugnait.
According to Dr Tugnait, teenagers need unhurried conversations and the kind of
listening that comes without checking the clock. “They do not expect perfection; they
simply need parents who show up. Remember, what truly matters is that a 70-90 hour
work week creates distance. Presence, not pressure, is what shapes a child’s emotional
foundation. And when that presence is consistent, everything else begins to fall into place,” said
Dr Tugnait.
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