The Duck Syndrome Phenomenon Is Rugigating The Mental Health Of The Young Generation

Illustration of the duck syndrome phenomenon. (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Don't judge someone from the outside alone. Someone can look calm and fine, even though inside he is struggling hard to face mental and emotional pressure. A person who is full of enthusiasm and accomplished can secretly experience duck syndrome.

This term comes from the image of a duck looking elegant on the surface of the water, but below the surface, his legs pedaled quickly so as not to sink. This phenomenon is now increasingly encountered by young people. They want to look versatile, strong, and productive. Unfortunately, behind all that, many are actually tired and overwhelmed, but don't know how to deal with it.

Anisa Yuliandri, S.Psi., M.Psi., Psychologist from the Career and Student Development Unit (CSDU) FEB UGM explained that duck syndrome was first used to describe Stanford University students who looked calm but actually depressed.

This picture is now commonly found in various campuses, including in Indonesia. Students try to meet high expectations, both from themselves and the environment. They struggle to maintain their GPA, are active in organizations, internships, participate in competitions, and continue to exist on social media.

"Many students feel they have to take all the opportunities for fear of being left behind. They are said to be lazy, uncompetitive, and have no future," said Anisa, quoted from the official website of Gadjah Mada University.

According to Anisa, based on Self-Determination Theory, humans have three basic psychological needs, namely 'autonomy', 'competence', and 'connectedness'. Duck syndrome is closely related to this concept, because when life choices are driven by external pressure, psychological balance will be disrupted.

The culture to always look fine makes not a few students suppress or hide their emotions. Not a few feel that they should not look tired or give up because they are afraid of being considered weak. This is the initial symptom of duck syndrome.

"Even though we are ordinary people, we have limits. But because we want to maintain a perfect image, finally everything is suppressed by ourselves," he explained.

According to Anisa, social media also increases the pressure. You are full of achievements from other people, ranging from race winners, internship experience, quick graduation, to holidays. This can lead to a feeling of lagging.

"In an effort not to shine less, students often force themselves to look productive. This is in accordance with the Impression Management Theory. A person tends to regulate and control his self-image so that he looks strong and capable, even though behind the scenes he is actually very tired," said Anisa.

The problem is, this duck syndrome is difficult to recognize because it is not clearly visible. Many think that fatigue is natural for the sake of success, even though if it continues to be forced, the risk of mental disorders such as anxiety, insomnia, burnout, and depression can increase.

This condition also creates cognitive dissonance, namely the conflict between true feelings and external expressions. As a result, a person can lose connections with himself, difficult to distinguish between busy and happy. In the long term, social relationships are also affected because they begin to withdraw and avoid interaction.

"There is a feeling of fear of being judged or considered a failure, when actually what is needed is only room to hear," he explained.

Anisa advised students to start recognizing the symptoms of duck syndrome and take small steps to overcome it. The first step is to be honest with yourself, admitting that fatigue does not mean weakness.

"This honest attitude is a form of courage. It's okay to not be okay. We don't always have to be productive or look happy. Accept everything, and allow ourselves to feel sad is part of recovery," he said.

In addition, managing expectations is also important. Not all standards must be followed and not all roles must be taken. Rejecting responsibility for maintaining mental health is legitimate.

"Learning to say not without guilt is an important skill," added Anisa.

He hopes that students will be brave enough to open up and want to tell stories, because sharing with one person can be very helpful.

"There is no need for us to pretend to be strong. If today all we can do or do is survive then that is enough. Sustaining is a form of courage." Anisa concluded.