By: Park Seojeong
Look at your surroundings. No, not at your left and right, but at the situations that are happening around you. Many parts of the world are affected by COVID-19, at least in my area. Through the pandemic, several people are saying that out of the population, the grown-ups are the ones having a tough time. Some of them are losing their jobs, some no longer have the same amount of resources they used to, and other people can’t even provide the necessities for their families. I agree with this. But I, as a teenager, want to say that we can’t ignore the hardships teens are experiencing.
As most people are affected because of the current situation, it explicitly conditions many teenagers. Some missed their sessions with their varsity teams, their field trips, their chances to dance with their partners during prom, and even their final semester of high school. Several youths became down, disappointed, or too emotional that they suddenly cry, smile, and cry again.
While we stay inside our rooms, with the concerns from our parents that it is not safe outside, we think that the situation now has no difference with being grounded; or maybe even worse. In both cases, we avoid going to the outside world. At least when we are grounded, there is a due date. And it won’t affect our health, will it? But at this time, no one knows when this circumstance will end; well, until scientists or some other people will invent vaccines. At adolescence, young people become energetic and start to socialize with others, starting with friends. But as this outbreak happens, they could no longer be with people but in their rooms, talking to their gadgets. With this, they feel that there is a limit in their lives. The options for activities done decreased especially outdoor activities. Besides, students are doing school work that should have been done inside the school at home. This reduces their space to rest.
Last week, my brother started to study in the study room, whereas he had his room. I went to him and asked why he stays in the study room, not in his place. I was quite surprised by his answer but soon agreed with him. He said that our home started to feel like school. So he moved to the other room to save his space from feeling the same way as the school. I agreed with this because students are doing their tasks at home just like when they were at school, but without any classmates they used to have before. When these sorrowful emotions go further, they turn into depression.
However, on the other side of the coin, this pandemic gives teenagers chances to discover more about themselves. Since their time of staying at home increased, they can look and do things they’ve never done before. Some people were able to discover more about themselves. They found their talents in unexpected areas such as drawing, writing, singing, dancing, or planting. Also, it gives not only teens but adults more chances to practice self-development and self-improvement. It provides opportunities to reflect on their habits and routines and make changes in their lives.
Once again, I understand and agree that the world now is having a hard time living. COVID-19 has affected our lives and brought a crisis with dark sides. But it does not mean that we should always be discouraged and not think of the positive sides. Why would you focus on the negative sides when it already happened? We can’t go back in time, so it’s better to think positively than negatively.
