FEBRUARY 11, 2026 — Senator Robin Padilla stirred the pot once again, this time calling the younger generation “weak” during a Senate hearing on proposed bills regulating children’s use of social media. His words were blunt: “Ang mga bata po ngayon, sad to say, huwag kayo magagalit sa ‘kin, naku. Maraming batang magagalit siguro pero pasensya na kayo, you are weak.” 

(The children today, sad to say, don’t be mad at me, many will probably get mad, but sorry, you are weak.)

Padilla compared today’s kids to his own generation, saying they weren’t “crybabies” and learned toughness from the streets. He even admitted he didn’t know what “depression” was back then. 

“Nu’ng panahon namin, hindi uso ‘yung salitang depression. Hindi ko nga alam ‘yun e, kung ano ‘yung depression. Ngayon, batang maliit, sasabihin, ‘I’m depressed,’” he said.

(In our time, the word depression wasn’t used. I didn’t even know what it was. Now, even small children say, ‘I’m depressed.’)

Here’s the thing: Padilla isn’t alone in this sentiment. Many older Filipinos echo the same line — that kids today are too soft, too sheltered, too glued to their screens. But is it really weakness, or is it simply a different kind of struggle? Social media has created pressures that didn’t exist in the 80s or 90s. Mental health, once dismissed or ignored, is now openly discussed. That’s progress, not fragility.

Maybe the youth of yesteryears were hardened by harsher realities — playing outside, facing street fights, enduring without therapy. But does that mean today’s generation, who grapple with cyberbullying, academic pressure, and the constant noise of online validation, are any less strong? Or are they just fighting battles invisible to those who grew up without Wi-Fi?

Padilla’s remarks hit a nerve because they force us to confront a generational divide. The older generation sees resilience in silence; the younger generation sees courage in speaking up. Both are valid forms of strength. What’s dangerous is dismissing mental health as mere weakness.

So here’s the question we should all be asking: Are today’s kids truly weak, or are they simply carrying a different kind of weight that older generations refuse to recognize?

(Image: Senate of the Philippines | Facebook)