2. Extreme boredom, depression, a feeling of isolation
When regular school classes were continuing adolescents looked for excuses to stay at home. Now with quarantine, they are missing school and the interaction with friends, the playing of favourite sports, and being away from parental control. They are overwhelmed by the huge weight of boredom, depression and anxiety. Social distancing has isolated them from the life they once knew. They are bored of even watching the same screen, tired of unending social media.
Adolescents need a routine that is followed consistently to keep them grounded. Just like on school days, a time to wake up is fixed. This is followed by meals and online classes, with fixed times for homework and study. This routine can be interspersed with social media time, which is regulated. At the end of the day, some “alone” time could be arranged to give some space. Simple and healthy meals along with 8-9 hours of sleep would help create a sense of normalcy in their lives.
3.Dangers of online abuse
The pandemic is keeping children at home and their education is being continued through online classes. This means they spend a lot of time on the internet. Social media is their lifeline connecting them to friends and activities that they are missing. Most connectivity to the outside world is through the internet which also exposes them to online abuse and exploitation. There is also the natural curiosity of this age to explore sites, which are not suitable or may have images of extreme violence. Parents are under economic pressure, uncertainties of a job at the workplace, issues among the family and the responsibility of keeping the family healthy and safe. Now they have to be alert to the dangers of cyberbullying for their teenage children.
Some parents may not have the technical know-how but they would sit and discuss cyber-bullying with their teenage children. They would learn privacy settings making sure that locations cannot be identified. They would have to block sites that make their children uncomfortable. Learning safety tools themselves they have to know where to seek help in such situations. The adolescents need to be made aware of the measures for online safety. Parents have to be vigilant for any signs of mental distress in their wards.
4.Mental Health
Information about the spread and symptoms of Covid-19 is pouring in from all corners. Some information is true, some exaggerated, which creates anxiety and worry in the mind of children. They are assailed with doubts as to how they are going to handle it and whether they are going to be able to recognize the symptoms correctly. Perhaps a neighbour or a friend has succumbed to the virus. All this adds to the gloom prevailing in their minds.
Adolescents need to be assured that this anxiety is normal and healthy. This anxiety is what is going to make them take precautions of washing hands, not touching their face too often, keeping a 6-foot distance when outside, wearing a mask in public, keeping in mind the safety of others. Only information from reliable sources should be discussed at home. Going for runs or jogging outside, while keeping all precautions in mind, following exercise videos at home, will release the `feel happy` hormones in the system. Picking up a hobby they did not have time for earlier, reading a book, watching a movie with the family, are all ways to build a healthy mind. Community service is a good option to take their mind off their worries. They could offer to help others through online classes or take up online classes themselves to further their education.
5.Additional responsibilities
Many teenagers are taking on additional responsibilities at the home of looking after younger siblings and housework while the parents are at work, especially in the case of single parents. There is financial stress on top of grief. A feeling of sadness that they are losing out on a precious chunk of their life when they should have been at school preparing for their future or just hanging out with friends. In this situation, they are juggling between housework and their study. More tragic is the situation in the lower- income groups across the country, where there is no laptop or internet at home. Each member of the family has to shoulder the responsibilities of earning to bring food to the table, irrespective of age.
This is a lesson in the realities of life for the adolescents, but parents need to be appreciative of the help. They need to listen to the grievances of their children with empathy, understanding, and patience. Talking about it and emphasizing that it is alright to feel sad and disappointed will validate the adolescent`s emotion.
Mindfulness is the need of the hour, where the teenager reasons and analyses the situation without any judgement. It is right to feel frustrated, angry and resentful. Once they get over that to then move on. A realization that will build a strong character to face all odds, no matter what.