Virtual Growing Pains
Text by SASHA BOUDTCHENKO and ALLISON CHANG Art by SAMANTHA HO
18 JUNE 2021
STUDENTS COPE WITH THE MENTAL EFFECTS OF ISOLATION
A
LL CLASSES END the same way: a curt nod from the teacher, a wave of goodbyes from classmates, and a Zoom call of 30 participants disbanded within seconds. Junior Kyoka Hiroshima watches as her classmates’ faces disappear one by one until she is left alone — facing her blank laptop screen. Hiroshima is one of many students experiencing heightened feelings of loneliness and a loss of motivation due to the isolation that has come with the COVID-19 pandemic. With online school playing a key role in increasing seclusion from friends and family, students and experts have shared valuable strategies for making online learning and post-pandemic life easier. Mental health decline The recent lockdown has changed the lives of many, from drastic shifts in daily routines to the mental health of students. Over the past year, Palo Alto High School Sources of Strength club member and senior Sabrina Chan has observed a worsening in students’ stress levels and overall emotional wellbeing. “I do see that there’s [an] overall decline in mental health,” Chan said. “For a lot of people, it [the pandemic] is like this never ending tunnel which can really take a toll on your mental health, especially when you rely on social interactions to help keep your mental health stable.” This change was also noticed by Paly Advanced Placement Psychology teacher Christopher Farina. “Overall, we are seeing an uptick in all kinds of … negative mental health outcomes,” Farina said. “We are seeing more people endorsing symptoms of anxiety
