Teens Are Suffering in Lockdown Isolation. Can Tech Help?
TikTok and Netflix probably won’t help kids feel much better. But other apps might.
Old and new ways to keep kids healthy.
Photographer: WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFPThis won’t come as a shock: New research shows that the pandemic is disproportionately impacting children and young people’s mental health. But the nuances bear thinking about. The older the child, the greater the chance of being affected; and girls are suffering more than boys. Most aren’t getting any help either.
This is the silent scream of the Covid crisis. Although the virus hasn’t caused young people as much physical harm, it has left many of them facing not just learning loss but significant emotional distress — be it lack of motivation, anxiety, withdrawal or even suicidal thoughts. Given that half of all adult mental health problems start by age 14, this isn’t a problem that can be put off to deal with later.