Effects of the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed the lives of children and adolescents worldwide. Schools and playgrounds were closed, social contacts were restricted, and the omnipresent fear of illness and death shaped everyday life. While adults often had strategies to deal with the situation, many children lacked the emotional and cognitive tools to handle the challenges. In this article, we examine the long-term effects of the pandemic on the development, well-being, and social skills of children and adolescents – and what parents and society can do to cope with them.

1. Psychological Impacts of the Pandemic

Fear and Uncertainty

• Fear of Infection: Many children were afraid of infecting their parents or grandparents and felt guilty when family members fell ill.
• Fear of Death: The repeated conversations about fatalities and severe diseases caused existential fears in many children.
• Loss of Security: The sudden loss of routines and the constant uncertainty about the future intensified the feeling of loss of control.

Loneliness and Isolation

• Loss of Friendships: Children often could not meet their friends for months on end, which especially led to a regression of social abilities in younger children.
• Lack of social support: Teenagers, who usually turn to their peers, often feel left alone.
• Feeling of Estrangement: The distancing from grandparents and other family members led to a feeling of isolation and estrangement.

2. Impact on Development

2.1. Social Development

• Loss of Conflict Resolution Skills: Children who were unable to interact with their peers had fewer opportunities to resolve conflicts or find compromises.
• Limited Empathy Capacity: Social isolation impairs the development of empathy, as children have fewer opportunities to put themselves in others’ shoes.

2.2. Emotional Development

• Increased Emotional Dependency: Many children increasingly sought the proximity of their parents, which led to a delayed development of independence.
• Increase in Fears: Children who have become more anxious due to the pandemic have had difficulties regaining trust in the world.

2.3. Cognitive Development

• Inequality in Learning: Children from disadvantaged families often had no access to digital resources, further exacerbating educational inequality.
• Lack of Support: Without structured teaching and personal support from educators, many children remain behind their potential.

3. Health Consequences of the Pandemic

Physical Health

• Lack of Exercise: Shuttered sports clubs and the loss of play opportunities have led to less physical activity and an increase in overweight children.
• Deteriorated Nutrition: Many children are eating less healthily because regular meals in schools or daycare centers are no longer available.

Mental Health

• Increase in Depression and Anxiety: Numerous studies show that depression and anxiety disorders have greatly increased in children during the pandemic.
• Increase in Self-Harming Behavior: Especially among adolescents, self-harming behavior as a coping strategy has increased.
  

4. Homeschooling and Its Effects

Challenges of Homeschooling

• Lack of Structure: Many children have had difficulties focusing at home and maintaining a routine.
• Missing Social Interaction: The loss of class communities and direct contact with teachers significantly impaired learning.

Long-term Consequences

• Educational Gaps: Many children were not able to achieve the same learning progress during homeschooling as they did in school.
• Diminished Motivation: The lack of personal interaction with teachers and classmates led to a decrease in learning motivation.

5. Long-term Societal Impacts

• Increase in Educational Inequality: Children from disadvantaged families often had no access to digital learning resources, exacerbating educational inequality.
• Change in Social Behavior: Social isolation has left its mark on many children and teenagers. Some struggle to reconnect or feel secure in social situations.
• Impacts on Trust in Institutions: Children and teenagers who have experienced the pandemic as chaotic and burdensome may potentially develop a lower level of trust in government and social institutions.

6. How Parents and Society Can Help

6.1. Parental Support

• Conduct Open Conversations: Talk to your child about their fears and experiences during the pandemic.
• Establishing Routines and Rituals: A structured daily routine gives children a sense of security and promotes a feeling of normality.
• Show Patience: Many children need time to readjust to social and academic demands.

6.2. Support from Schools

• Focused Support: Individual learning programs can help close educational gaps.
• Strengthening the Classroom Community: Activities that promote cohesion help children rebuild social bonds.

6.3. Societal Measures

• Promotion of Leisure Activities: Sports clubs, youth groups, and other social services should be more strongly promoted.
• Access to psychological support: Children and adolescents must have easier access to psychotherapeutic and social work services.

7. Summary

The impact of the pandemic on children and teenagers is profound and far-reaching. From fears and social limitations to educational deficits and mental health issues – the challenges are diverse. However, with targeted support from parents, schools, and society, children and teenagers can learn to process the experiences of the pandemic and emerge from them stronger. It is up to all of us to help them regain confidence in themselves and their future.