When a student takes, or attempts to take his or her own life, public conversation is often shadowed by speculative narratives. The question quietly shifts from what went wrong to why this happened. Even social media users rush to frame the story, often with relentless certainty, producing explanations that are easy to consume but rarely grounded in care.

Recent suicide incidents at the University of Lahore (UoL) have deeply unsettled the academic community. In the first case, tensions with faculty were reported. In the second, a personal relationship was cited. These narratives circulated rapidly across social media platforms, allowing citizens to form quick conclusions about the state of higher education. Although we have already published an op-ed on suicide in higher education focusing on institutional responsibility, the recent suicide attempt by twenty-one-year-old Fatima, a D Pharmacy student at UoL, raises deeper and more unsettling questions that cannot be ignored. This op-ed draws on our several years of teaching experience with Generation Z, as well as sustained post-event discussions with students aimed at understanding the underlying issues.

Higher education today is shaped by a widening generational divide. Our parents and teachers grew up and were nurtured within social and institutional environments marked by silence, patience, and compliance. Many learned to suppress emotional responses, adjust expectations, and accept authority without resistance. For a long time, in academic spaces, endurance was........

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