Editorial: Online classes are draining

OPINIONS DESTRUCTIVE DISTANCE LEARNING Virtual learning takes a toll on students’ well-being

The staff editorial represents the opinion of the majority of The Highlander editorial board

Sitting in an empty room with no one but a screen, spending hours each day staring at a computer, having little to no social interactions and school always in the back of their minds. With the majority of each week devoted to education, students and teachers are beginning to succumb to the stress and anxieties surrounding the digital world of online school. Virtual school is detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of students and teachers.

In a world controlled by COVID-19, online education is the only safe method to prevent the spread of the virus. Although this type of schooling has its positive aspects, students’ mental health is being put at risk due to the overwhelming amount of schoolwork that’s being assigned. Teachers should be able to identify these common stressors and regulate the amount of work they give.

Social interaction, especially in an educational environment, is imperative for students to succeed. Personal exchanges and relationships between students and teachers have been severely strained due to the lack of physical interaction.

“I’m not seeing students as much because a lot of people don’t want to turn on their cameras, and even when they do, it’s still not the same as in person,” English teacher Michael Enos said. “That building of a relationship and having that kind of natural conversation just isn’t there.”

Students with mental health concerns find online learning even more challenging to understand and follow.

“Students with emotional disorders are also at risk during this time and will require support to maintain emotional stability to remain engaged in virtual learning,” school social worker Marly Jerome-Featherson said.

The unattainable expectations being set by teachers is causing students to be buried in assignments, resulting in extreme stress, but those battling mental health issues are affected even more.

“Along with just school in general and getting assignments done, not being able to go into school to see friends has also affected me because seeing people is really important when you’re battling depression,” Cassidy* said. “It seems to have caused me to isolate myself a little bit, which has significantly shown to make depression worse.”

Even for students who do not struggle with any mental health concerns, the world of online learning has been taxing on their well-being. The amount of time students are spending on screens due to both school and homework is draining.

“Decreased in-person interactions contribute to loneliness and lack of motivation among students,” Jerome-Featherson said. Junior Franny Stroik suffers from chronic migraines that affect her on a daily basis, impairing her ability to stare at a screen all day. “I could have a migraine lasting from 45 minutes to seven hours a day, which makes me behind in school, causing me to have even more stress,” Stroik said.

Stroik faces the decision between keeping up with schoolwork or maintaining her physical and mental health.

“My doctor recommends that for every 30 minutes I spend on a screen, I should take a 30-minute break. Online school ends up being a restrictor that causes me to lose the balance between work and rest,” Stroik said.

Working with teachers is crucial, especially for students struggling with mental health problems. Both students and teachers have been putting in their best efforts to meet a middle ground for maintaining stress and work levels.

“I think it’s really helpful when teachers try to be accommodating. It’s hard to meet deadlines all the time, but when my teachers are accommodating of my struggles, it definitely makes it easier on me and relieves a lot of stress,” Sienna* said.

Most teachers are trying to be aware of the challenges that online school brings to students, especially those struggling with mood disorders.

“If there are certain circumstances coming up or someone’s really having trouble adapting to it, [it is important to be] sitting down and working with that student and trying to come up with a plan, and being a little more flexible with people who are struggling as far as due dates and stuff like that,” Enos said.

Even with accommodations, many students are still falling behind due to the heavy workload and the change of routine.

“Although I do have a 504 plan, [it hasn’t] helped me very greatly, unfortunately,” Stroik said. “Ultimately it doesn’t help in as many ways as I wish it could because even if I do have extensions, that just means more work is piling up, which then is worse for my migraines since I should be balancing.”

It is crucial for teachers to remain aware of the amounts of work they’re assigning and in order to reduce students’ stress and to develop an understanding of the mental states of their students in order to ensure everyone is able to succeed in this challenging new environment. *These students asked to remain anonymous