How has Covid-19 affected the mental health of Teenagers?

Have you ever stopped what you are doing, and thought how has this pandemic affected the mental health of teenagers? Lets rewind back before the pandemic started. Teenagers were going to school and socializing with their teachers and fellow classmates. On weekends they would go out with their friends to the movies, restaurants, arcades, or just going to a friend’s house. The kids who are athletes would have games and practices for their schools or clubs to look forward to. Then all of a sudden, everything shut down, and all the fun things teenagers would look forward to were closed.

To all of you teenagers out in the world, have you noticed how you or someone else has acted differently? Have they acted sad, frustrated, depressed, or completely different than usual? This could be due to the pandemic. I talked to Brandon Lyon, a student who goes to Campo Verde High School. When asked how this pandemic has affected his mental health, he said,”this pandemic made me feel a little sad, because everything got shut down. I couldn't play basketball, I couldn't go hang out with my friends, I couldn't do anything.”

As a teenager myself, I definitely felt sad during this time. I am a very social person who likes to hang out with people and be a part of something. When I couldn't do any of those activities, I felt depressed.

If you are a parent concerned about your teenager, follow some of the recommendations from doctors. Healthychildren.org is a great website to use to see doctor recommendations. One of the doctors said,“Allow down time. It's normal for teens to crave more privacy from their family. Give them space for quiet time, creative time, music time, or to virtually hang out with friends.”

Let's do our part to help all teenagers get through this tough time. Just because the world had turned upside down, doesn't mean teenagers should change theirs.