Coronavirus Updates

Effect of Covid-19 Quarantine on Teens-- And How They’re Coping

Many Studies Have Been Released Showing Psychological Effects

Reporter Hayden Clevenger

The December 2019 Coronavirus disease outbreak has many people panicking, hoarding, and self-isolating. Understandably, this is taking a great toll on the mental health of hundreds, with Gen-Z being the most interesting, because of their position.

Many studies have already been done on how exactly this is affecting teens’ psyche, showing results such as anger, confusion, and even symptoms of PTSD.

According to Dr. Samantha K. Brooks in a recent article, there are many stressors associated with the virus, including, “longer quarantine duration, infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma,” suggesting potential long-lasting effects on young generations.

Most of these adverse effects are actually from the restriction of liberty rather than quarantine itself, whereas voluntary quarantine is associated with much less distress and fewer long-term complications. Many researchers are urging public officials not to lengthen quarantine unless in the most extreme situations to minimize this effect, and are speaking out about the shortages on supplies.

However, there are many ways to manage this stress, with one of the most popular being speaking to peers about it. Many teens have turned to social media, such as TikTok and Tumblr, to vent about this stress through humor, and are usually met with a barrage of sympathy.

Other teens have taken to their platforms to spread awareness of the issues caused by the Coronavirus outbreak, such as the shortage of medical supplies, in an attempt to help in any way they can. Some are even offering abuse victims who are stuck in quarantine with their abuser a way out, usually through codewords to keep the victim safe and notify appropriate authorities.

Additionally, many teens have taken up simple hobbies as a distraction, such as baking, gardening, or visual arts. In fact, in some stores, yeast has sold out due to the influx of teens baking bread to pass the time.

Finally, video games have been acting as a form of escapism, with simple simulation games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley, and Minecraft being the most popular for their relaxing environments.

As a teen, much of this time in quarantine has been spent on social media, playing the new Animal Crossing installment, or making some confectionery good. The best we can do as a society is continue to self-isolate and navigate this uncertain time.

Many organizations have stepped forward to aid during this, one of which being Taiwan Can Help, as Taiwan was ravaged by the 2003 SARS epidemic and understands what the world is going through currently.

With their aid, the world is growing closer to a vaccine for COVID-19; according to their website, they have, “managed to isolate virus strains from patients to synthesize the spike protein,” a key component in vaccines.