EvolutionInsights

A few days ago, I came across several posts and comments about a young boy who appeared on a TV quiz show.

He made a mistake — maybe spoke out of turn, maybe appeared too confident — and suddenly, the internet decided to turn him into a topic of public judgment.

LinkedIn, of all places, was filled with posts analyzing his behavior, his upbringing, and even his supposed medical condition.

And as I scrolled through them, one thought kept echoing in my mind —
Why are we being so harsh on a child?

Yes, maybe he was wrong.
Maybe he spoke in a way that didn’t come across well.
But he’s still a child.

He’s still learning — how to express, how to respond, how to balance emotion and excitement.

Children make mistakes. That’s how they grow.
But when grown-ups — educated, professional adults — publicly tear down a child for being imperfect, we stop being mentors and start being critics.

This isn’t how we build confidence in the next generation.
This is how we break it.

I don’t know this boy personally.
But I know what it feels like to see a child’s spirit questioned in public.

As a parent, I know how deeply one small comment can hurt — not just the child, but the family that’s trying their best.

It’s easy to forget that behind every viral clip is a small heart that might not yet know how to process ridicule.

We talk so much about empathy, emotional intelligence, and mental health — yet in moments like this, we forget what they actually mean.

Even if a child is wrong, the answer isn’t public humiliation.
It’s guidance.
It’s patience.
It’s remembering that our words carry weight, especially when spoken by adults.

Because one unkind post may fade from our feed, but it can stay in that child’s memory for years.

Before commenting, forwarding, or analyzing, maybe we can all pause for a second and ask:

“Am I helping, or am I hurting?”

If this were our own child, would we want the world to treat them this way?

The courage it takes to sit under bright lights, answer questions, or simply be seen on a big stage — that deserves admiration, not ridicule.

We don’t need to protect children from mistakes.
We need to protect them from cruelty.

Let’s stop making viral moments out of their innocence.
Let’s teach with kindness, not shame.

And let’s remember — behind every small voice is a big heart trying to find its place in the world.

Be kind. Especially to children. The world is already harsh enough.

Author’s Note:
As a parent, I’ve come to believe that empathy isn’t about big gestures — it’s about restraint.
About choosing silence over criticism.
About remembering that every child we see online or offline could have been ours.

#Kindness #Children #Reflections