Nov 27, 2025 – Brianna DiPinto
In March of 2020, Covid-19 caused the world to take a turn for the worst. School was almost over, and summer came very quickly. After the shut down began, there were no afterschool sports or activities, and hanging out with friends and family members became very limited. This was the start of the 2020 covid-19 pandemic that greatly affected mental health, especially in younger generations of teens and young children. I remember it clearly when I was in the 7th grade, about to go into high school. I remember everything shutting down so quickly, seeing less kids coming to school, kids wearing masks, being separated, and eventually a few days turned into a week, a week turned into a month, and we were in lockdown mode. Everything turned digital, online classes came into play, and the separation did not just affect school but also in other ways we connected with each other. Soon, everything took a very drastic turn. Facetime became one of the most used apps to talk with friends and with everyone now on social media platforms, it changed the way we communicated with each other. The question now is: are there long term effects of this sudden drastic shift?
I would say yes, there are significant long-term effects when seeing the change in how people interact in today’s world. In the outside world, nobody can communicate well with each other. Everyone depends on their devices, always looking at the latest thing on social media to keep up with interaction. Apps like Facetime, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok became the popular place where teens could talk, laugh and feel connected with each other. That’s why you see more of the younger generation liking people’s social media feeds and commenting, instead of commenting in person with each other.
According to a 2025 New York Article, interviewing teens, describing the shift as overwhelming but necessary. One student said that during lockdown, “your phone became your whole world” (The New York Times). This constant online communication showed how young people never really got a break from comparing themselves to others or from worrying about how they appeared on screen.
The more time people spent scrolling, the more insecurity grew. Without real-life interaction to balance things out, small issues felt bigger. Teens saw their friends posting the “perfect” photos from home, and it made them really question themselves. The lack of in person support also made feelings like sadness, anxiety or loneliness harder to manage.
Mental health affected anxiety, depression and a huge part of loss of confidence. The pandemic didn’t just change how young people communicated with each other but how it changed how they felt.
According to the 2025 BBC article, “the pandemic generation” that many children and teens developed long-lasting anxiety and struggled with emotional development because they lost years of normal social experiences (BBC Future.) Without daily routines like walking to class or sitting with friends at lunch, many teens became more social anxiety. A teacher interviewed in the article said some children “became more hesitant, more unsure of themselves,” showing just how strong the loss of normal interaction affected confidence (BBC future). This aligns with what many young people personally experienced. Being alone with technology all creating a cycler
- More screen time + More comparing = More insecurity
- More isolation + More anxiety = more dependence on online validation
Even after school responded, many teens still felt “different” – less social, more self-conscious and unsure how to reconnect in person.
Social media wasn’t the cause of the pandemic’s stress, but it definitely increased it. During lockdown, everyone had more time to look at themselves on camera and compare their life to others. Teens also had front-row seats to constant scary news updates, which the New York Times noted contributed to emotional overload for many students. Because life slowed down, young people had more time to think, sometimes too much. Overthinking. This adds extra stress for young teens’ appearances, especially young girls, as well as the future, and even distant friendships. This is no surprise that this added insecurity, depression and social anxiety rose through 2020-2022.
In conclusion, Covid-19 didn’t just shut down schools. It changed the emotional damage for an entire generation. While technology keeps growing and how most people stay connected. It also created pressure, comparison, and stress that many young people still feel today. The sudden shift to online life shaped how teens see themselves, how they communicate, and how they trust each other. As we move on with our lives it’s important to challenge and help our generation rebuild the confidence we all need to find a balance with social media and the real life world, and help us reconnect in healthier, more meaningful ways. The pandemic may have shaped us and affected us but it does not have to define us.
Work Cited
Teenagers on How Covid Has Changed Them – The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/learning/teenagers-on-how-covid-has-changed-them.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
Gammon, Katharine. “The Pandemic Generation: How Covid-19 Lockdowns Is Having a Long-Lasting Effect on Children.” BBC News, BBC, 10 June 2025, http://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250605-the-pandemic-generation-how-covid-19-has-left-a-long-term-mark-on-children.
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