Living Through the Pandemic — A Student’s Perspective

By: Atharva Chitre

Introduction:

COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, has impacted life for people of all ages. Whether it be kids, teenagers, adults, or senior citizens, COVID-19 has fundamentally impacted the way people live every day. Education is one of the most valued aspects of society as it serves as the foundation for an individual’s success. COVID-19 has drastically changed the format for schooling, causing a majority of schools to either be shut down completely or have the majority of students not return. From a student’s perspective, online schooling is a sincere effort to replicate the success of teaching in person, but it understandably falls short, due to various reasons. In this blog, I will discuss the ways in which COVID-19 has hampered learning for high-school students, but more importantly, I will also discuss measures to limit this damage.

Effects of COVID-19 on the student community:

According to a poll from America’s Promise Alliance, nearly 92% of all the 3,300 students who participated in the survey, reported they participate in online virtual schooling. The same survey asked a variety of questions regarding different aspects of learning in a different environment.

· 29% of students say they do not feel connected at all to school adults

· 30% of students report feeling unhappy or depressed in this work environment

· In terms of feeling at least somewhat connected to various social constructs, the survey results show the following:

o 50% to their school community

o 47% to school adults and

o 43% to classmates

· 1 in every 4 students reported an increase in loss of sleep because of unhappiness, stress, or loss of confidence.

These next couple of data points come from a survey done by Common Sense Media where a majority of students were participating in online learning.

· 56% of students say they are very or somewhat worried about losing connections with their friends

· 40% of teens say they are feeling more lonely than usual

The data clearly shows one major trend in student behavior due to virtual learning: an increase in isolation and loneliness. While virtual learning has created a suitable environment for learning subject content, it fails to live up to the connectivity and integration among different students and teachers in an in-person environment. Although some may argue the first two statistics from America’s Promise Alliance poll are not indicative of the entire student population, the numbers are high enough to come to the conclusion that online learning has created a more isolated and lonelier environment.

Ways to help overcome the negative effects caused by online learning:

Unfortunately, COVID-19 is here to stay, at least for a considerable period of time in the immediate future. Also, the challenges listed above are not anyone’s fault or due to a lack of trying or wrong motivations. These are just the reality of learning in a COVID-19 environment. What can we as students do to mitigate some of these influences? Below are some ideas.

· Get closer with family members: According to the same Common Sense Media poll I referred to earlier, 40% of students reported they feel more connected towards their parents than usual which is an increase from 30% in March. This trend is definitely encouraging but not quite enough. There are still 60% of students who feel as connected or even less connected to their family now with online school. As they say, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. COVID-19 has a silver lining. Prohibition of travel and onsite work has resulted in parents and children being physically together for a greater amount of time than ever before. It is important that we take advantage of this benefit not only because it helps us grow closer to the people we love, but it also takes us out of a constant state of isolation and alienation that we are subjected to because of the pandemic.

· Avoid excessive time alone on a phone: Phones were a significant aspect of our daily lives even before the pandemic. Now when isolated in our homes, our phones become our main, and to some, our only source of communication and entertainment. With online learning, our eyes are locked in on a computer or another electronic device for at least 8 hours a day. By spending more time on the same devices, we ostracize ourselves from communication and time spent with other human beings in the house. While communication in the form of text messaging and video calls are good, and at times necessary, spending endless time on YouTube, social media, or other entertainment sites hurt us more than they help us in a time like this.

· Spend time outside (while social distancing): Perhaps the greatest effect of COVID-19 on any person is forcing him or her to stay indoors for far more time than before. With virtual learning, students are sitting in one place for the majority of the eight hours of learning, reducing both exercise and time spent outside. Going outside for a walk (while social distancing) or a drive provides many benefits to students including, establishing circadian rhythms which help regulate sleep patterns, getting fresh air, and increasing exercise significantly. All of these benefits can help overcome problems such as sleep deprivation and isolation which have been prevalent with online school learning.

While there are numerous other strategies to mitigate feelings of loneliness and isolation created by the pandemic, such as taking up hobbies or online volunteering, the three benefits mentioned above will significantly help reduce many problems created by the pandemic. All of the solutions involve increased communication with others and more time spent off of electronic devices which are necessary for a time like this. Overall, if you do not feel comfortable in the virtual environment, solutions like devoting more time to communicate with family members, avoiding time off of electronic devices, and spending more time outdoors will help alleviate many of the problems you are facing!