How teens cared and didn’t care about COVID-19
There are only two types of people on this planet: the type who listen and the type who don’t.
By Faith Kiross
Throughout 2020, COVID-19 has consistently been flooding media sites with updates on new cases and deaths both nationally and internationally.
Parents seem to be very cautious about COVID-19 and keeping it out of the household, but what about teens? How much do teens actually care about the pandemic?
First impressions of COVID-19
We all have different ideas about the pandemic and the ways to deal with it. When COVID-19 began to headline on the news, teens assumed it as a flu for older and younger people. This harmless “flu” quickly grew into a global pandemic infecting millions.
Due to the lack of information provided from the beginning, teens were not concerned as much. It didn’t seem to be as big of a deal as it is now. Therefore the concept of wearing a mask and social distancing didn’t seem to be a measure that teens should take at the time.
Only once the virus began to spread and death rates began to grow did caution arise. Realizing that teens are at risk of getting sick is when the idea of social distancing and wearing a mask began to be essential to keep ourselves safe.
Our reactions
The ways that some teens deal with the pandemic are either responsible and reasonable or just irresponsible. With COVID-19, it’s difficult to have social interactions and to take care of our well being. This is why we need to grasp on any bit of social interaction possible without spreading the virus.
How Humans are Hard-Wired for Social Relationships by The Dana Foundation has proven how our social behavior and social interactions are critical. Having our brains wired to connect and having “most complex and interesting social behavior out of all animals” proves that we must make the effort to stay connected to our friends and family, whilst keeping them within a small bubble. Not only are you having the interactions that you need for your mental health, but as well as keeping you and the people you live with safe.
Yet even though there’s teens that follow these protocols, there are still teens that don’t. Yes, the teens that lick doorknobs and throw big house parties with no face masks or social distancing. They’re the reason why COVID-19 cases will continue to rise amongst young demographics. Not only are they selfish, but they also disregard everything that health officials are saying. No matter who you are, anyone is prone to getting COVID-19. This pandemic does not discriminate; if it sees you, it infects you. Yet there’s still countless people who think it’s best to throw a big house party, as if there isn’t a global pandemic going around.
Why do some teens care more than others?
We all have different living situations. Either we live with our parents and siblings or we live with a few generations. Either way, there’s plenty of reason. The first reason is simple: some teens are at risk. Either they are sick or have preexisting health conditions that make them at risk, which is why they don’t want to take any risk and they stay home.
Another reason is: they live with a family member that is at risk to getting COVID-19. Whether that family member is a newborn or a grandparent, they are extra cautious of who they hang out with (explains why they have a small bubble of people).
And there could be plenty of other reasons why they care more about the pandemic than others in their age group. This truly depends on perspective on how people view the pandemic. Luckily there are teens that are smart enough to listen to health officials and that take the pandemic seriously. They may not have any health conditions or any family members at risk that they live with, but they still care for the safety of themselves and the people around them.
Perspective is what will flatten the curve.
We all perceive and learn things differently. Some teens didn’t take the pandemic seriously and only once it started getting worse did those same people start to stay at home.
Depending on where you live, COVID-19 could be getting better or worse. Either way there’s still a global pandemic and it’s important that we all do our part to flatten the curve. Listen to health officials and the longer we stay at home, the quicker the curve will flatten.