So many challenges, and so much to endure – Young people speak on COVID-19 experiences

BY JONELL PANTLITZ

As a community newspaper, we are concerned with what is happening in our community, and we are determined to stay connected with everyone on all levels. This is why we understand that change affects young people in many ways and every person has a different story. I was asked to tell some of those stories.

From my personal experience, there are ups and downs with everything that is happening. Being a black student in a time like this has been hard, but also powerful. Having a voice is one thing, but using it is an amazing feeling. Being a part of something historical is a pleasure that cannot be explained.

Apart from that, isolated learning has been difficult. Many days, I didn’t open my laptop. I didn’t have the will power to do anything. It’s a good thing that slacking off didn’t stop me from meeting deadlines. This online shift overall has given me a lot of free time that I had no clue what to do with it. I don’t think we realize as students how much of our life is spent in a school. With the free time: I started trading, I joined a lot of online workshops, and I am more aware of my mental health. I spoke to some other young people my age, and after sharing my stories, I asked a simple question, what about you?

Kaysia (High School-Graduate)

Not everyone has the ability to adapt to a new environment as quickly as some do. Many of us get depressed easily. We have more anxiety attacks than we used to, and even feel socially drained most days.

We encounter so many challenges and endure so much pressure. Truth be told; it’s hard to actually accept reality most times. It’s hard to live in the moment and pretend that it’s only a matter of time before things get better. So I say this to say that change really has a positive impact on teens as well as it has its negative.

We have more distractions at home than if we were actually supervised while sitting in a classroom. Many have the mind-set of “I’m home, so I don’t really have to do the work because no one is there to see to it that I do.” Some youths understand a lesson better by: hearing the instructor’s way of explaining, being given the chance to participate in class discussions and being present. I believe that there is more school-related work being issued online than when we were in an actual classroom.

Online classes have also affected study patterns in more ways than one. From experience, it’s tiring to be staring at the screen for so many hours. Every day is just another day for children going to school during this pandemic. They don’t see the need to be revising notes again because everything is just being projected online.

Anushka (University-student)

I had to leave my apartment closer to my University and return to my family home which was probably the most negative part of my experience. I think the events in the world have mentally affected me more than physically – the realization that the world can easily shut down. Isolated education worked just like any online class, with the exception of being able to go discuss your concerns with your professor face to face. At first, I did not want to study at all. It was difficult to get my mind in that place. I eventually developed a schedule, but it still was not the best experience. I think the quality of my work was also affected.

My younger siblings’ (who I try to help) biggest difficulty is getting them to find the willingness to work.

Shaina (High School-Graduate)

In my opinion, change doesn’t have much affect on the younger generation because we tend to adjust to situations quicker than the older generation may have. That being said, distance learning and in school learning are two different things because we as students do not get one on one time with teachers, which means it may be a bit more difficult for some students to reach an understanding. With studies online, most of us tend to stop caring and to start losing focus on our studies.

The best way to learn about the experiences of young people is to actually talk to us. I hope that this has been an eye opener. We are all in this together