A bullying incident involving her own young child prompted Jyotsna Mohan Bhargava to write her sensational new book Stoned, Shamed, Depressed: An Explosive Account of the Secret Lives of India's Teens, published by HarperCollins. Jyotsna is a mother to two young girls, a former journalist and a columnist who writes about parenting.

My temptation to chat with Jyotsna was driven with my own struggles as a parent bringing up two young girls in the pandemic. Past few months have been difficult for parents world over. Watching our kids locked up at home, learning online, having playdates and birthday parties online, navigating their emotions and lives online. From obsessing about screen time to pretty much handing over the keys to the cyber world, the transition has been swift and hard.

Jyotsna's book offers incite into startling aspects of teen lives in India today, and the sheer pressure cooker environment they function under. Its release during the pandemic has been that much more revealing for parents who are getting to see their kids a lot more, interact with them more than they ever have, and getting exposed to their personality they kept exclusively for their friends and peers in school.

Listen in to our podcast, and leave us comments on whether you would like us to take up more parenting issues in future conversations.