The Mycenaean

March 14, 2020, marked a historic day in every student’s life — Governor Roy Cooper announced a two-week shutdown of all NC schools. Little did students know, the shutdown would last over a year. 

COVID-19 was on the rise and public concern #1. Thousands of people were getting sick with no treatment available.

The 2020 isolation period was when everyone was confined to their home. Every day posed new challenges and scares for the community. People with prerequisite conditions feared the thought of COVID-19 — one positive test could be the difference between life and death. The pandemic uprooted the structure of teenagers’ lives unlike ever before. 

Every student had a different experience during the “Covid Years.” Ranging from learning new things, being isolated, and becoming technologically advanced — this time was a blessing and curse. 

The pandemic will be remembered for the number of people affected by illness but what will the long-term effect be on teenagers?

Personality Changes

Being away from others gave students the time and space for self-discovery. 

Emily Dombeck, sophomore, said, “I grew up… I built better habits during Covid.”

Jacob Merritt, senior, said, “Covid helped me enhance my public speaking skills…and I still use that today with theater.”

Students like Dombeck and Merritt were able to make the best of a bad situation. They overcame the social challenges that came with being away from others. 

On the other hand, lack of social connections hindered teenagers. There was a 5.2% increase in mental disorders in people aged 5-22. Depression and anxiety were two of the biggest mental illnesses that developed in teenage girls because of COVID-19. 

A Leesville senior said, “I would say I got pretty lonely during the lockdown, and I got a little bit scared.”

The uncertainty that came with being in a pandemic forced teenagers to adjust and change their lifestyles. 

The University of Washington did a study on teenagers’ brains post-covid. Brain maturation is measured by the thickness of cerebral cortex tissue — the thickness of the outer layer of the brain. When the tissue thins, the person matures. 

The University of Washington found that there was an accelerated maturation pace of the cerebral cortex during Covid. During the pandemic, the cerebral cortex thinned too quickly compared to the thinning rate of past teenagers. Females seemed to mature 4.2 years earlier than before, while males matured 1.4 years earlier than peers from pre-covid. 

Stress and adversity that was faced stunted the emotional age of teenagers, especially teenage girls. While the brain got older, there were no social interactions to mature the emotional skills of people. 

For the next few years, the emotional skills of teenagers have to work overtime to catch up to the physical age of the brain. The gap that was created during the pandemic is one that will continue to affect the lives of teens. 

Social Life

One of the biggest losses of the pandemic was relationships. 

The difference between girls’ and boys’ social interactions comes from the different social norms of the two genders. Boundless Sociology did a study and found that girls tend to value a deeper emotional or social interaction with others whereas boys focus more on the physical presence of a companion. 

Wyatt Plaice, sophomore, said, “I had a set group of friends at that point, but it was a while ago…most of the people in my life are a lot different.”

Family dynamics changed as well. Going from being around family for only part of the day to being with them 24/7 presents challenges in itself. Different families had to establish rules based on their exposure to COVID. 

Aki Panitsidis, junior, said, “[My family] definitely got a lot closer together because we were all stuck in the same house…I wore masks for a long  time because my parents were afraid of covid and I wore them longer than most people.

To this day, there are Leesville students who wear masks when there is a cold going around school to protect themselves and their families.

The pandemic taught everyone how to adjust and stay safe when things go in an unexpected direction. 

Academics 

Covid-10 caused two years of school at home.

Students’ bedroom was the classroom, the kitchen was the principal’s office, and the living room was like a collaborative space. 

A Harvard Article did research on how much students truly lost during the pandemic. On average, students have lost half of a grade level of math skills and a quarter of a grade level in reading skills.

Mr. Huff, a Leesville AP US History teacher, said, “Just getting kids to show up and engage and participate was extremely difficult.”

There are some districts that are still averaging grade levels behind in mathematical and reading skills. Setbacks such as loss of study habits, motivation, or attention span will continue to harm them academically. 

In addition to the habits of students changing, the structure of classroom instruction has never reverted to a “pre-COVID” format. 

Before the pandemic, students completed most assignments using paper and pencil. Now, 95% of assignments get done by a screen. 

Students have found shortcuts through AI platforms such as ChatGPT — something that was less prevalent before the shutdown of schools. 

Mr. Huff said, “[I wish there was] less reliance on electronics.”

Electronics create a barrier between the students and their education. The media of the work can make it difficult to focus or complete the work in the best detail. 

COVID-19 changed the course of each person’s life and will continue to display its effects. It is up to the students to decide how much power the COVID years have.