How COVID-19 has impacted teens’ mental health

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Students weigh in on how they have been doing in light of the pandemic

Since its emergence in Wuhan, China late last year, COVID-19 has drastically changed the lives of students all around the world.

In late August, three students took on the task of explaining how quarantine has affected their

school routine, financial situation, physical health, social life, and overall mental wellness.

Orlando, USA

As a result of the virus, many schools have been forced to resort to online learning. For one student from Orlando, school work is entirely self-paced.

“I don’t interact with anyone, not even a teacher,” said the student from Dr. Phillips High. “I’m all alone doing class work.”

The pandemic has also severely affected the world’s economy; in the U.S alone, the unemployment rate shot up from 3.8% in February to 13% in May. As a result, many communities saw shortages in essential services and products.

“It isn’t a terrible change but it was unexpected,“ said the Orlando teenager in regards to the financial changes their family has had to make. “[We had] to set priorities. Normal things that we would buy like snacks and excess supplies had to be sidelined.”

Hong Kong:

Even across the world, feelings of loss run rampant especially among international students, as many were sent home to finish their education.

“I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of once-promised opportunities,” said a Kent School sophomore, a Hong Kong native studying in Connecticut.

COVID-19 has significantly impacted all aspects of life. However, the most profound ramification is its damaging influence on mental health.

“[During] the past few days, I’ve been stuck in a slump,” the sophomore said. “I’ve lost motivation to work and study.”

Being isolated takes a lot out of an individual, and teenagers everywhere are desperate for change.

“It’s safe to say that everyone wants to return to [their] usual routines in a coronavirus-free world as soon as possible,” said the Kent School student.

Ottawa, Canada

In Canada, the overall number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 100,000 with 2,930 cases coming from Ottawa alone. As a result, numerous students are left wondering just how school is going to function this school year.

One high school senior student from Ottawa expressed concern for the “lack of proper structure [with] online learning.” The student goes on to highlight how the pandemic has made them “more stressed internally with the lack of distraction.”

The ordeal of having to live through a pandemic while going to school has proven difficult. While it may not have affected the Ottawa student’s physical health, the isolation has taken a deep toll on their mental wellbeing, and left the student—as well as more like them—“unmotivated, mainly from lack of interaction with [their] teachers and friends.”

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Published September 16, 2020

Written by Tina Ge and Mackenzie Chen ~ Edited by Amanda Chapa ~ Graphics created by Elwin Fu