BEAUTY + WELLNESS
ONLINE LEARNING &
MENTAL HEALTH WRITTEN BY
Sophia Smith ILLUSTRATIONS BY
Devin Benko
After the COVID-19 pandemic became a dark reality for students the inevitable switch to virtual learning came with a toll on their mental health.
L
ast March, students were thrown into something that none of them had experienced before—shutdowns, closings, new rules and regulations—all within mere weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting
the United States. They went from thriving on campuses to moving out and heading back home within hours. No one was expecting to make the switch from what was considered traditional styles of learning to fully remote online learning. While students have begun to acclimate themselves to the new routines that come with going remote, one cannot help but question how this massive change has affected the students themselves. The pandemic has pushed everyone away from social interactions and onto their computers, putting pressure on the mental health of these young adults.
So how does being online and remote take a toll on the minds of students? Are the screens and lack of social interaction that big of a difference in the overall well-being of individuals? Remote—or distance—learning has been linked to an increase in stress and anxiety levels of students. In a survey by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, 32 percent of students said that their mental health needs have risen since COVID-19 closures began. The loss of structure and routine is a contributing factor to this. People thrive on routines and feeling like they are in control of situations in their daily lives. The switch to remote learning has thrown this completely out of balance, resulting in the added stress of trying to develop new personal routines as well as staying on top of school work. Not only have students lost their feeling of control while learning remotely, but they have also begun to lose their sense of belonging in some cases. University is community—friends, family and social interaction is a major part of attending higher education. The notion of no longer belonging or suddenly having an overwhelming sense of loneliness can lead to a plethora of ot her issues.
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