The date is March 19, 2020. It has just been announced that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a statewide order that will close schools, businesses, restaurants and more. COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing, and many people have died. As time progresses, two weeks in quarantine becomes two years of masking, marking a historic series of events that our generation will never forget. The pandemic has been well discussed by the general public, but what have we learned about the societal effects?

In a voluntary poll of 149 Kaneland students, 38.9% of respondents said they suffered from social anxiety following the pandemic, and 30.9% said they feel somewhat anxious in social situations now. This is alarming because, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), “This fear can affect work, school and other daily activities.” 

Social anxiety causes you to doubt your abilities and can affect your worth ethic. For some students, such as freshman Bella Ramsey, who was in fourth grade when the pandemic began, the transition back to in-person interaction was particularly challenging. Reflecting on her experiences, she shared how the isolation of lockdown impacted her social confidence and energy. 

“I was definitely a lot more outgoing before,” Ramsey said. “I don’t know if I’d say I had more friends, but I definitely would say that I was more social.” 

For two years, kids and teens missed out on school hallways filled with chatter, after-school activities and even the simple, formative experience of navigating group conversations. These interactions are vital for learning social cues, building relationships and developing confidence in social settings. 

As explained in an article by Molly Chiu on the Baylor College of Medicine’s website, in-person interaction plays a crucial role in social development. While most adolescents will be able to make up for the lost time, adolescents who were already at risk for socialization and behavioral challenges are now at risk of falling even further behind. 

The effects that quarantine had on social skills reach beyond teenagers. Young children were isolated from their peers, depriving them of crucial time to develop social skills. Some children have exhibited behavioral patterns that were not as common or apparent prior to the pandemic. 

“Over the years since COVID-19, we have seen an increase in many social-emotional [needs], such as attention-seeking behaviors, emotional regulation issues, separation anxiety and difficulty with structure and routines with many of our students,” Kaneland McDole Elementary kindergarten teacher Melissa Chavez said.

Chavez shared that emotional regulation has also become an increasingly noticeable issue in young children since the pandemic. 

“Some students are more defiant, and we have seen an increase in tantrums, hitting and talking back to teachers,” Chavez said.

Educators are making every effort to restore their students’ social and emotional skills lost to the pandemic. Providing room for free time is essential to the development of these abilities in young children. The creative and social outlets that children find themselves in allow them to build their social skills. 

“We make sure to have a carved out time each day for free playtime,” Chavez said. “This is the perfect opportunity for students to build their social skills naturally.”

It is also important for parents and guardians to play an active role in helping their children socially recover from the pandemic. It may be difficult for parents to fully understand the impact the pandemic had on socializing, especially because they experienced pre-COVID-19 childhoods.

“I would encourage parents to create good routines for their children at home, create opportunities for playdates with other children and be sure to have their children attend preschool to help develop their social and academic skills to prepare them for kindergarten,” Chavez said.

There are measures we can take to assure future generations get the same opportunities we had. Although the social and emotional differences in the development of young children may seem alarming, it is important to maintain a positive and hopeful outlook. 

“Today’s students are showing signs of pre-COVID-19 social skills,” Chavez said. “We are hopeful that the next year’s incoming students will be even more socially and emotionally at a more pre-COVID-19 level.”