Where are we heading as human beings?

Last week a friend sent me a video of a trans woman from a western country stating that she identifies as a wolf, and a second one who says she identifies as a cat and communicates with her children through meowing.

She also stated that schools respect her children’s choices and “meow back when communicating with them”. This video made me wonder, where are we heading as human beings?

History books tell us that during the Middle Ages in Europe, there were people transforming into a variety of animals - most commonly wolves - and during the 16th and 17th centuries, there were trials involving claims that the accused were witches that had the ability to shape-shift into a wolf.

This is a psychiatric condition called Lycanthropy, which is a delusion of being an animal – wolf or otherwise.

A delusion is a false belief held by a person who is convinced that it is true. This is often seen among people who suffer from schizophrenia or other psychotic illness.

But recently there are reports of people identifying as cats and wolves without exhibiting other signs of mental illness.

Social media sites are discussing a new wave of people who are choosing to not identify as a part of the human race but align themselves with animals such as cats and wolves.

For example, there is an eight-grade student in Australia who identifies as a ‘cat’. She does not use speech to communicate but meows like a real cat. The schools are reported to be “very supportive” and put a litter box in the bathroom for students who identified as cats to use instead of the toilet. According to social scientists, people who identify as animals are more likely to be men who like watching cartoons as children and enjoy reading science fiction books.

A recent study showed that 12 to 17 per cent identify as trans and between 5 and 15 per cent have autism while up to 70 per cent identify with the LGBTQ+ community.

The reason why some people identify as other than human is not fully understood, but psychologists suggest that it offers an alternative way to fit into a society that doesn’t always make room for everyone.

In short, it could be a result of societal disintegration that is now seen in several countries. In my opinion, the argument that children and teenagers should be allowed to choose their gender is not valid, as they are too young to make such decisions and they are often easily influenced by trends and what is popular in social media.

It is not a surprise that a good number of transgender people revert back to their original gender, which in certain cases is not fully possible - especially after surgical reconstruction.

Someone may ask, what can I do to protect my children from such behaviour? Well, there is no single way and probably having regular conversation with your children about different affairs will help you be aware of their thoughts and interests and pick up any unacceptable ideas.

When possible, plan activities that would take them away from their phones, like a walk in nature or a picnic. You may face some resistance in the beginning, but don’t give up.