Kamal Ghorui
A painful photo of a shattered laptop lying on the floor has triggered a huge conversation online about academic pressure and toxic parenting in India. The image, shared by a student on Reddit after the CBSE Class 12 results were announced, quickly went viral – not just because of the broken device, but because of the story behind it.According to the student, things at home turned extremely difficult after they scored 57.4% in Class 12 boards and received an “Essential Repeat”. The user claimed their father reacted by smashing their laptop, taking away their bed and room, and forcing them to sleep on the floor.“I know I’m late here, but this is what my father did after 12th results were out,” the student wrote while posting the picture online.The post became even more heartbreaking as the user opened up about what they were allegedly facing at home. “I am facing verbal, physical, mental and emotional abuse since the results are out,” they added.Soon after, the comment section exploded with people sharing support, frustration, and sadly, similar experiences of their own.Many users pointed out how common extreme reactions around marks still are in Indian households. One person wrote that instead of helping children deal with disappointment, some parents end up damaging both their confidence and mental health.“Breaking things out of anger solves nothing,” another user commented, adding that taking away distractions might make sense in some situations, but destroying expensive belongings only makes things worse.A lot of people also tried comforting the student emotionally. Several comments encouraged them to stay focused, spend time around supportive friends, and not let one exam define their future.But one particular response really struck a chord online.“Remember how you feel right now and promise yourself you won’t treat your own children like this someday. Break the generational curse,” a Redditor wrote.
That line resonated with thousands online because it touched a nerve many young Indians understand all too well – the cycle of academic pressure passing from one generation to the next.The discussion comes right after CBSE announced its Class 12 board results on May 13. This year, over 17 lakh students appeared for the exams, with more than 15 lakh clearing them successfully.Still, amid all the numbers, rankings, and percentages flooding social media, this viral Reddit post reminded many people of something bigger: for students, board exam results are stressful enough already. Fear at home should never become part of the process too.
