Just about anyone can agree that quarantine hasn’t been desirable. People who are introverted initially seemed more comfortable in this social isolation, since many introverts are used to being socially isolated from others. However they were previously choosing to be on their own, but now being forced to isolate is taking a toll. Now that school has moved online there is even more opportunity for students to feel isolated from friends and their communities. 

This pandemic is affecting everyone in different ways; people have lost jobs and loved ones. There are always people who love the company of others but now they can’t get that. While they can Zoom or Skype, it’s not the same as human contact, in fact, this has worried a lot of people because when schools transitioned to online learning many students were incredibly disappointed. I know I was along with my friends and family.. My sister is in her 8th grade year and is worried about not having a graduation and my step-mom is a high school English teacher and has mentioned how hard it is to connect to her students online. Making connections with people online is a struggle, it is so different and makes life even harder. Students and parents are also feeling the effects of isolation, school ended so abruptly and no one got a formal goodbye from friends or teachers. 

According to Financial Times, even someone who is relatively mentally healthy is going to feel the effects of an abrupt change of their lifestyle: not being able to go out, they fear the unknown, fear losing their job or failing school. It is quite stressful for students and parents who don’t have a good home life, such as no internet and no food. There are also thousands of people who are in a constant state of worry about being evicted from their homes. Even students who have been successful in school in the past are feeling stressed about keeping up with work with everything else going on. And for students who have not been successful this could be the opportunity they need to find a reason to never go to school again. 

If you ever feel worried or stressed about school, life and this ever changing year, know that there are other people out there who want to help and want to be there for you. Remember to always take time for yourself, find something you like to do, and try to make the most of a bad situation.