Zoomer Zone: The Lingering Scars of COVID

EMMA DISON BRANTLEY

When COVID-19 erupted in 2020, everyone went into hiding, and our lives changed forever. The pandemic is basically over (or so says The President), except for the occasional booster shot and optional masking, but the lingering repercussions are bigger than we thought. COVID has negatively impacted my generation, but the after-effects are even worse for Generation Alpha (kids born after 2012). For me, who was a high school senior in March 2020, COVID stole my last few months of high school and forced me online for my first year and a half of college. I was fortunate to be on campus my first year of college, so I still was able to meet fellow students in person and have some sort of college experience, albeit under strict protocols and regulations. During the almost two years of COVID, I complained a lot - how everything I planned got cancelled, how I wasn’t able to see friends from home, and how sick I was of being in the house with my parents. But thinking back on my COVID experience, I realize how lucky I was compared to my younger friends and family.

In fall 2020, the new school year started in the midst of the pandemic. During the following school year, kids across the world, from pre-kindergarten through high school, missed at least a year of their crucial development by being forced online into remote learning from home. British daily newspaper The Guardian labelled us “a sacrificed generation,” pointing out that when COVID broke out, many kids were just pushed to the side. Maybe a lot of people don’t think the forced isolation and separation during the pandemic are a huge deal yet, but what about when these generations are making up more than half of the work force? These kids now in grade school have missed any and all socialization experience, and skipped

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over vital learning skills that are normally developed at this crucial age. Even young adults my age, just going into college, have felt the impact. Studies have shown that even though we are the least likely to be affected physically by COVID, we are the most affected mentally. Risk of depression in young adults has tripled since COVID, and we are just starting to understand the gravity of the aftermath.

As a college student, I worry about the quality of a high school diploma or a college degree when a lot of students spent so much time in learning online during the pandemic. Getting a degree online is not as impressive nor as personally rewarding as in-person instruction. It’s so easy to go through the motions online and not actually do the work, and you miss the valuable personal interaction with teachers and fellow students.

When talking to other college students about their feelings for their future, many said they are scared about their financial future or lack of job experience. Many young adults are now trying to get internships and jobs to start their careers, but many fell short in employment opportunities during COVID because companies were suffering, too, and not hiring, or moving to remote work situations. As kids, we were told to graduate high school and go to college, so we’ll get out with better job opportunities, and be able to better support ourselves. But as inflation and the cost of living grows, rent continues to increase, and home prices remain out of reach for many, how are the new generations supposed to make it in life?

I believe young adults now will be trying their hardest to make the most of their college years, because if COVID taught us anything, it’s that life is too short to wait. You might think how scary the world has become because of COVID, but I know it can only get better from here.

EMMA DISON BRANTLEY is a third-year student at the University of Cincinnati, where she is pursuing a degree in information technology on the game development and simulation track. When she is not gaming online, she spends time with her parents trying to help them not be so boomer.