The spread of Covid-19 and world wide pandemic has had a huge impact on our mental health, especially on teenage students. Studies and statistics have shown the rates of depression, anxiety, and self injury have tremendously increased. It is a students number one priority and responsibility to attend school and build the foundation of their career. Shutting down high schools and moving to online learning has hindered students from reaching their fullest potential. With activities of everyday life on hold students have been deprived of in person learning, putting a whole in their education career, extra curricular activities such as sports, and creating genuine in person relationships with other students.
Above everything else students have endured, social media and endless scrolling of content has affected viewers’ mental health. The pandemic has given teenagers free time to do anything, but without being able to go outside or hangout with friends they have turned to scrolling on social media and constantly consuming content. Most of which had become mind numbing to take up time in place of learning a new skill or reading a book. Constantly scrolling through social media has become an unhealthy habit for most, that has also developed other mental health issues.
Although mandates have slowly lifted and schools have reopened, students are suffering from the lasting effects of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues that this pandemic has left us with.
By: Hanna Uyan
Cal State Long Beach