Teens must get used to ‘the new normal’ in the era of COVID-19

April 8, 2020

By Jake McCann
Staff Writer

Even in the best of circumstances, being a teenager is stressful. With the emergence of coronavirus, life has gotten even more complicated. Social distancing is putting a strain on teens because we are no longer able to see our friends or go out to public places like malls and movie theaters. Since socializing is a top priority among teens, we make do with FaceTime and Skype calls to stay in touch. In addition to talking, we are using technology to watch a movie simultaneously, play games and paint together.

When we aren’t connecting with our friends, we are seeking out solitary activities to pass the time, such as watching Netflix, playing video games, creating artwork and cooking. Teens are also having to adapt to online schooling, which means our daily routines are completely different than they were when we were in school. It used to be: wake up for school, go to school, participate in extracurricular activities and head home. Nowadays, our weekday routine is: wake up, sign in for school and do, well, pretty much whatever.

Although online schooling is a lot of work, it still has to get done, so students are relying not just on teachers but also on friends, older siblings and parents to help them. It’s not the ideal situation, but it is better than the alternative of failing.

For those who struggle with remote learning, it is important to remember that school will eventually get back to normal. You just need to be patient.

There are many uncertainties right now. Seniors wonder if they will be able to have a graduation ceremony, and juniors worry that their prom will be canceled. These are huge questions, and schools are doing their best to maintain a sense of normalcy in very abnormal circumstances.

We all know the situation sucks right now, but we just have to make the best of it because—simply put—there is nothing else we can do.