Human connection is a key ingredient to one’s well-being. Yet increasingly, our society’s connections are coming undone, especially for young people.
This loss of face-to-face communication dramatically accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant children lost the rhythm of everyday life. Opportunities to attend social gatherings, play sports and practice hobbies were replaced with activities at home, long distance learning and more technology.
While this had been a growing problem long before COVID-19, Shyrea Minton, chair of California State University, Northridge’s Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, said the pandemic exacerbated this issue, particularly for those in K-12, who experienced many formative moments during lockdowns and ensuing gathering restrictions.
“We were forced into isolation — of course it was necessary — but when we think about who we are as people, we are social beings,” Minton said. “It is embedded in our DNA and we are designed to seek community and we couldn’t do that during COVID.”
As distance learning and hybrid options became the norm during the pandemic, so did certain habits that have shaped the way young people interact daily.
“When COVID hit, thankfully we had technology,” Minton said. “Kids could still learn. Teachers could still teach. Parents could still go to work. But they had to engage through these video conferencing platforms.
“However, in some ways, we stayed there, technology for communication and connection continues to be the norm,” she continued. “Particularly, for teenagers, it created habits in some of their most formative years that haven’t gone away.”
This has resulted in less in-person interactions and more screen time, which studies show can lead to emotional and behavioral problems. When technology replaces face to face socializing, Minton said, there will likely be adverse long-term effects that a young person will experience later in life.
“For some, screens are a way to avoid awkward situations that may come when socializing in person, which is a short-term fix, but can actually heighten symptoms of anxiety,” Minton said. “If you don’t have the opportunity to engage with others in live, in-person environments, you’re not going to learn how to regulate emotions when stressed or presented with an uncomfortable experience in that live, in-person environment. This can effectively disrupt one’s ability or desire to seek social connection. It becomes uncomfortable, meaning that because you haven’t learned how to navigate that at a young age, you’re not going to know how to engage socially later in life.”
Research shows friendships and social support have long-term benefits for emotional wellness, health and longevity. For children, their first relationships are often with their parents and immediate family members.
However, as they progress through early childhood, connections with peers rise in importance, Minton said.
“If a child is spending so much time online and they’re not having the opportunity to master those vital social skills, those skills are going to decline,” Minton said. “It is critical that we, as the adults in the room — teachers, principals and parents — are creating opportunities for students to be away from screens.”
While changing habits might not come easy, Minton said, a concerted effort between a child’s school and a parent will go a long way. Having phone-free spaces in the classroom or screen-free time at home can be effective, as well as family engagement experiences that have nothing to do with screens.
“I don’t think we’ll know what the full social impact of the pandemic is for a number of years,” Minton said. “But we can already see certain habits have shaped the way a generation of young people communicate and interact.”