Does COVID have young people living in fear?

In 2009 I was a senior in high school. The H1N1 outbreak was all over the news. To be honest, I was quite unaware of the severity of the virus — or the lack thereof. I did not try to get informed about the virus or the dangers of it. At 17, I just didn’t think it would really affect my life. Looking back, it didn’t.

I wonder the difference or similarity between my attitude toward the H1N1 virus and the attitudes of today’s youth toward COVID.

One thing is for sure — the youth of today have not been permitted the luxury of ignoring COVID the way I was able to ignore H1N1. High school graduations canceled, classes transformed to online formats, city lockdowns, mask mandates, lost loved ones.

In a time where a deadly virus is transforming the lives of everyone across the globe, what type of effect on mental health is this virus having on our youth? Do you feel scared of contracting the virus? Are you afraid of your parents contracting the virus? Are you changing your habits or making inconvenient decisions for the betterment of those around you?

Are you more nervous about the ways the virus is changing the fabric of society and its intricacies than you are the illness associated with the virus itself? Are you afraid to admit those fears to others in the fear of your anxieties seeming selfish or insignificant compared to the severity of the illness for some?

The opinions and anxieties surrounding the virus are so polarizing and politically charged that I believe it has silenced people’s ability to openly communicate their feelings regarding the matter. We should not be considering someone’s fears as trivial, but rather being a safe space for others to express their feelings in order to relate and validate one another in unity. Let those around you share their fears with you. Let them be free to express their deepest anxieties without judgment — then, you will feel free to share yours with them.