Life behind the screen
By: Stefanie Danya
November 7, 2021
*Warning for those triggered by abuse
Student or teacher, most of us live pretty similarly as we go about our lives amidst the pandemic, attending school and such一 but, what about life behind the screen? I mean it’s still quite similar, considering the fact that most of us are suffering on a daily basis.
Students may seem relaxed on screen, but the reality’s different. Some may actually be in an unsafe environment, some may be crying tons after classes finish, and some quiet students may actually be really loud.
Some children may feel safer at school than at home, due to abuse or generally feeling uncomfortable and not like themselves around their family. Unfortunately, it is estimated that up to 1 billion children aged 2-17 years old have been victims of abuse, whether sexual, physical or emotional abuse worldwide. Imagine how hard it is to have to live 24/7 in a space where you feel unsafe, especially as a minor where you can do almost nothing about it and can’t even run away because of the life-threatening virus going around.
In addition, a lot of students have had to deal with mental health problems due to the pandemic. It’s hard to focus on your mental wellbeing when you already have to live up to your parents’ expectations, have dozens of assignments to finish, and your social life. It has always been hard, but the pandemic has managed to make it worse. Having to act normal in classes, and forcing yourself to work quickly so you can go and get over it.
Moreover, having to deal with the pressure of turning your camera on most or even all of the time. Some people have messy backgrounds, or family members walking everywhere. Some people end up hyper fixating on the way they look in class, and end up not focusing on the lesson being taught or maybe they just generally feel uncomfortable with turning the camera on. “Just don’t think about others looking at you”, may be told to the students, but in reality it’s really not that easy to think that. Do you walk up to someone with depression and say “Just be happy”? No.
Aside from school problems, students also need to deal with their social life. I feel like this pandemic has taken a toll on a lot of our social lives. Extroverts become introverts and vice versa. Sometimes, it’s so exhausting to socialize with people so some have no choice but to take breaks and isolate themselves. On the other hand, there’s people who have adapted to socializing online, and are enjoying it. I think that throughout this pandemic, there were a lot of people who have found themselves, and found friends that are right for them. Whether it’s an online friend or a classmate they just started talking to.
Although the students' lives are hard, we must be thinking about how hard it is for the teachers too. Honestly, I respect high school teachers for having to deal with plenty of mentally unstable teenagers for 5 days in a week. I know numbers of us may think some teachers are being “annoying”, but it is necessary for them to be一 it’s their job. Reminding students to finish their assignments, telling them to not slack off, telling them to turn their cameras on is all part of their jobs. If they don’t do that, then who’s to pay for their bills? After all, teachers need to provide for themselves and their families.