I see teens almost every day. I worked with many of them remotely during lockdown. Since 2020, I’ve had the privilege of talking to 100+ kids and I hear the same things repeatedly, most of which will surprise no one. Most students I’ve met struggled with some kind unease, fear, or general unhappiness during the worst part of the pandemic. There were at least a few who confessed to me that they had very dark thoughts at times.
I’ve worked with exactly 2 students who loved lockdown and the subsequent remote learning. Those two students both suffer from anxiety and/or depression and were/are undergoing treatment. Both of them loved not having the pressure that comes from being at school daily. They both got their best grades ever during that time. One of them actively dreaded having to return to school once things retuned to “normal.”
Interestingly though, that same student now has a bunch of college acceptances in hand and is suddenly very excited about the prospect of college. She is noticeably happier. For her, I believe the ego boost of colleges wanting her and in some cases, offering her a LOT of scholarship money, was a much needed tonic. She can now see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Getting this young woman interested at all in the college application process was a feat in itself and she and her mother started very early because they needed to tread lightly.
I think high school can be a very isolating experience in many ways, especially for kids who feel they don’t fit in. For a lot of kids, college is a chance to finally choose the people they are around and study what they want to study.