How Teens Have Been Affected by Pandemic and What to Do About It

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control is troubling.

No, it’s not about a new COVID variant or a new spread. It’s about the impact of the two-year long pandemic on teens.

The new CDC report, involving a survey of nearly 8,000 high school students, says the pandemic caused some major problems involving the health of teenagers, from increased drug and alcohol use to high levels of reported abuse and mental distress and economic impacts on their families.

A sixth-grade teacher in another report this week tells what it was like when all of her students were back in person this school year after more than a year of remote classes with sixth graders having not been in school since the fourth grade. She said many were struggling, saying, “These kids have gone almost two years without structure and following rules and routines and interacting with their peers.”

Some other teachers say there are many teens they describe as being nearly anesthetized by technology, socially limited and often displaying disruptive behavior.

About this new CDC survey of thousands of high school kids and the impact of the pandemic, the agency’s principal deputy director says the findings “echo a cry for help.”

Indeed, they do. The pandemic is thankfully winding down, but its impacts could be felt for a long time unless all parents, teachers and counselors are ready to help all the kids of COVID.

(Photo Getty Images)