Effect of Pandemic on Social Skills of Children Essay Example

đź“ŚCategory: Child development, Communication, Coronavirus, Health, Pandemic, Psychology, Sociology
đź“ŚWords: 579
đź“ŚPages: 3
đź“ŚPublished: 20 February 2022

When today’s children grow up, will they see themselves as a lost generation, their lives forever a shadow of a world crisis, no one was prepared for, or a speck on their timeline too far into the past to ever remember? The past two years have seen the worst, and its impact on children has taken a disastrous toll on their social skills and development. As schools shut down and the covid-19 became prevalent, quarantine isolation and the subsequent loneliness have been too heavy to shoulder for children and young adults who depend on social interaction for their growth.

Peer interaction not only presents an opportunity to learn about cooperation, trust, and mutual support but also learn about themselves and their emotions. With their only assets taken away, a repeating pattern of social reclusion and withdrawal has been observed, one which may affect their community for years to come. They miss out on the purest forms of interaction and any stimulus, cognitive or emotional, necessary to navigate in the real world. For the most critical period in adolescents, this may result in an increased risk of mental illness. Many had to experience first hand the financial concerns, personal dilemmas, and the health crisis, and the feeling of being isolated and anxious growing up in a global pandemic has had no help on their mental well-being. While the virus itself, may not be a direct threat to young kids, its social and economic repercussions have caught up with them just as hard.

Not to say that there haven’t been any efforts to overcome these barriers. Schools have been trying their best to provide quality education to their students through online classes, even looking into conducting many on-ground school events online. Though remote learning has tried to go around such a seemingly despairing situation, the limitations are far too many. Provided, the issues of learning behind a computer screen, and the short attention span of most kids, there are many aspects yet to be bettered. A question of social development in virtual conditions too arises, the answers of which aren’t too hopeful. Even in this case, have the poorest, drawn the short end of the stick, with the most limited resources to combat the crisis.

But there is always more, that the community and government can do to see through a more effective course for the sound social development of the generation. Setting up online libraries is one way to enable easy access to children to have their minds engaged and working and avoid slipping into much despair. The administration will have to look into those who were unfairly affected by the situation and provide the required aid. As a family, it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to have open and honest conversations with their children, who are many, a time overlooked. Strengthening family relationships is key to ensuring a comparatively normal social developmental curve.

Around the world, schools have begun opening, and children trickling back into classrooms, many seeing their classmates for the first time in two years and the youngest of them, their first peer interaction ever! The pandemic has no doubt taken an immense chunk of their youth, and every interaction since then may forever reflect what’s occurred. An entire generation has been deprived of their most cherished moments of growth, and there is no such thing as turning back the time. Only with the concerted efforts of parents, psychiatrists, society, and government can we assure that children of all ages and backgrounds are equipped to cope with the dynamic environments and thrive in a post-covid world. Will we allow it to take shape as a mental scar holding them back, or will we work to ensure that it vanishes into a line drawn in sand?

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