It is just one day ending and another one dawning after that, but it has a special psychological significance for people – it offers them a fresh start with a new calendar. The Gregorian New Year, which is universally accepted so that matters can run smoothly the world over, may not be entirely astronomically and astrologically accurate, but it is celebrated with cumulative zeal as a day of significance, with resolutions taken in the expectation of doing better as the page turns.
As 2025 transforms into 2026, the world could do better if the totally unnecessary wars and violence are brought to a halt. The Ukraine-Russia war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, recently Vietnam and Cambodia (really?), are all symptoms of a global order in decay. These are all taking the focus away from the real problems Earth and its living creatures are facing. Violence – from the individual to the community and national levels – is not being dealt with effectively despite all the powers at humanity’s command after centuries of scientific and technological progress. The ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy is becoming increasingly blurred due to the many different worlds offered by virtual reality and, now, AI. In many parts of the world, even normal relationships are now difficult to sustain because of this psychological withdrawal. The problem is also taking hold in India.
This trend is going to increase in 2026 and if any New Year resolutions are to be taken, people must vow to revive real life social engagements and be less engaged with Instagram, WhatsApp and other such accounts. Experiencing the heat and cold of the physical world, and the togetherness of community activities can bring back respect for each other, be it on the individual, the local, the national, or international levels. The decisions being taken by certain countries, such as Australia, to ban social media for under-16s is a growing recognition of the problem the future is set to bring.
In that sense, 2026 will need to be a transformative year in which self-realisation as living entities will need to be enhanced, otherwise entropy will hit hard as we remain suspended in the virtual world. In the case of India, particularly, the systems of governance need to be improved so that challenges can be met with the speed and efficiency required, instead of a focus on managing social media perceptions. It will require vision that ordinary people caught in the daily struggle to survive do not usually have. Hopefully, 2026 will meet at least some of our expectations.
