Impact of Remote Learning on the Mental Health of Students
In early 2019, the idea of the COVID-19 crisis would’ve seemed like something straight out of a dystopian, apocalyptic young adult novel. That seems to not be the case anymore as of 2022, with the world already being two-and-half years into the pandemic.
With schools and colleges shut, all learning moved online.
An abrupt and overwhelming state of social withdrawal and isolation has led to the steady decline in the mental health of Gen-Z, due to complications of stress and anxiety arising from the pandemic-esque changes in life in general, and changes in schooling and education in particular.
Death, bereavement, and implications on future job prospects (due to employers, quite widely, disregarding the relevancy of a qualification attained during the lockdown period) have had a significant impact on the emotional well-being of students in university, with unhealthy coping mechanisms being employed to keep one’s head above water.
Higher expectations and coercion is likely to be imposed on students, especially younger children, who are now under the constant surveillance of their parents throughout the day. Their performance in class is monitored, scrutinized, and oftentimes, criticized. This criticism might as well extend towards the teacher, as illustrated in some occurrences widely deliberated over in viral social media posts.
A number of students report feeling claustrophobic, prone to episodes of panic attacks originating from high stress levels and lacking the motivation to get work done.
A sudden switch in teaching methodologies has rendered most students incapable of catching up with assigned work. Traditional classroom teaching, now replaced by remote learning, used to add humane elements to a student’s educational journey: a connection with the teacher and friendly competition among peers.
And with the absence of the same in online classes, students tend to deal with concentration issues and struggle with resolving or balancing them alongside the approaching deadlines and meeting the expectations of reaching a predetermined benchmark in terms of grades, test-scores.
COVID-19 has been turbulent, scarring. Mankind needs a remedy.
The future of the world needs to heal, so that it doesn't despair in piteous resignation, but amasses the grit to launch forth ten-fold.
Hope.