One year ago, March 2020, COVID-19 swept the world. Just a longer spring break, a thrill for students. A couple weeks of fun however, turned into a couple months and on March 13th, 2021, a year. 

In the beginning, quarantine was nothing serious for most, spring break plans, hanging out with friends as spring blossomed. But along with spring blossomed the global rising numbers of Covid-19 cases. As cases escalated, the world shut down. Throwing everyone deeper into quarantine. 

The isolation negatively impacted socially-dependent teenagers. Waking up slowly became a chore, the appeal of staying in bed all day grew with the lack of options otherwise. Every day began to feel the same, living in the  confinement of the same house as yesterday, nothing ever changing. This repetition of daily loneliness launched depressive episodes for some and drastically decreased quality of life for all. 

For the past year, teenager’s social interaction has relocated online. Most took to TikTok for entertainment. The trends and humor the app spread connected through kids who could relate to each other’s experiences. Despite its often bad-rep, much of Gen-Z is dependent on the app and the entertainment and comfort they receive from other teens they can empathize with. 

During quarantine, within the isolation came intense self reflection. Being constantly alone can easily impact an individual’s self-image. This resulted in the widespread determination to “glow up”. It can be agreed upon by most that they did not begin quarantine as the person they are now. This “glow up” is a positive aspect of loneliness for many. Whether they changed their style, worked for their ideal body, or grew as a person, the time alone throughout quarantine allowed many to grow into the best version of themselves.

This however was not the experience of everyone. While some gained determination, others were ridden by self loathing or depression. Isolation from peers gave many the time to overthink or succumb to loneliness. 

The pandemic also resulted in the loss of loved ones for many. Some were forced to cope in the confinement of their bedroom. This year, thousands have experienced loss on top of the loneliness of quarantine, creating an even darker environment. 

Although everyone’s lonely quarantine experience was unique, the simple 2 week spring break that has yet to conclude, has teens longing to live life normally.