by Eve Schlegel ‘20

There is a common feeling of despondency at the moment, not only among Americans, but people all around the world. Our lives and daily routines have hit a dead end as we have become hermits in our homes. Big events for high school and college seniors, like graduation and prom, come and go. As a high school senior myself, I understand the frustration that follows not being able to celebrate the end of about thirteen years of schoolwork with a graduation, or attending prom to celebrate the end of a chapter with your friends. There is a hole in senior’s lives because we have been robbed of a once in a lifetime experience. Psychologist Lynn Bufka, spokesperson for the American Psychological Association, summed up the experience perfectly in an interview with NPR.

“It’s unprecedented for all of us, but it’s completely new for teens and young adults — and they don’t have the wealth of experiences that older individuals have with transitions,” said Bufka. “They’re trying to figure out how to do transitions and manage change within an environment where everything seems upside-down for them.” 

Our feelings are completely justified. With anxiety and depression rates at an all-time high with younger generations, this whole situation is exacerbating it. Adding stress and social isolation is like adding the cherry on top of a disastrous sundae. 

As of this moment, Sherwood seniors will have a virtual and an in-person graduation in late July or early August. In the absence of school events, seniors across the country have been honoring the end to their school year by posting collections of photos and videos from their high school experience. Many girls have posted photoshoots in their prom dresses. I feel that the nostalgia through Instagram and Snapchat only makes the despair worse for some people. We get a glimpse of what we could have gotten, but we cannot experience it for ourselves. It is a form of mourning over social media. Leah Lessard, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Connecticut, and Hannah Schacter, an assistant professor of psychology at Wayne State University, describe how teens are particularly hit hard during this time.

“Teenagers are hungry for exploration, social connection, and independence–the kinds of developmental drives that have become directly threatened by the same measures that are absolutely essential for public health,” says Lessard and Schacter. “Therefore, although adolescents are not considered high risk from a medical perspective, they are still facing very real social and emotional challenges. Despite widespread uncertainty surrounding the future, it is essential that we all look out for adolescents, be sympathetic to their frustrations, and make sure that they have the resources and supports in place for optimal development.”

While we go through this, it is easy to point out all the negatives about our lives: the missed concerts, trips, social events, and many more. It is all about perspective. Looking back at history, it could be so much worse. I know it sounds cheesy, but in the end we will emerge stronger than before. On a funny note, we will also have something to use against our kids in the future when they complain about not being able to see their friends for a day. We can explain how we had to go through an actual pandemic, and could not see our friends for months. Let’s keep our heads up, and push through it.