The last two years were difficult. As the pandemic continued to wreak havoc, we were forced to adapt to a new set of rules and guidelines to save us from the deadly coronavirus that killed millions of people worldwide.
People lost their family and friends, they grieved, they tried to move on then variants of Covid emerged, killing more. Distanced from their loved ones, confined to their homes, people came up with coping mechanisms, but some are still struggling.
The pandemic has changed how we live, changing our relations and societal dynamics. A few of the changes that we have brought to our lifestyle are long-lasting.
For example, now some are comfortable with the work-from-home scenario as going to offices regularly might become taxing. It is not because people have become comfortable, the fear of the Covid is undeniable.
Well, we have talked about the adults and their problems. We communicate and share our sorrows. We read news stories about COVID-19, we try to understand the scenario. We sometimes get anxious, but at least we are aware.
But what about the children?
Covid’s impact has been immense. Physical challenges due to long Covid are already there in addition to the mental trauma. There are calls worldwide to read the signs and seek help whenever needed.
That is for the grown-ups, what about the children? How are we planning to raise those who are below five years of age and not aware of the gravitas of the situation?
Impact of Covid on kids
The impact of this global crisis will be lifelong for those who lost their childhood, who lost the fun of being in class with classmates, being in a park, enjoying slides with friends.
As the topic is so sensitive, WION reached out to Mr Ganesh Kohli, who is the founder of the IC3 movement, to know his valuable inputs.
Mr Kohli is a teacher and counsellor who founded, nurtured and led multiple education-focused organisations. He inspires others with his work and his educational counselling movement is one of its kind – based out of India.
While speaking to WION, Mr Kohli said that there are “huge challenges” that exist, particularly for children that we don’t even realise.
He said that a whole generation of children is going to grow up to be “Covid generation”, just like we had the World War II generation. There have been generations, like the Partition generation when we had Partition (India-Pakistan Partition).
“There are certain traumas in history… human beings are quite resilient but they tend to carry these traumas,” Mr Kohli said.
“This generation of students and young people is going to have that trauma… where, that connection with people of their age, where they were stuck in a home environment, where they experience the disfunction to a much greater extent at home that they would otherwise not have experienced because they would be away in school,” he added while talking to WION.
If we observe closely the behaviour of kids around us, we will definitely see some changes – the way they talk, they eat, they do things. Several factors are responsible, such as exposure to the internet, lack of in-person interaction with other kids.
How it can be tackled? As Mr Kohli said that there’s definitely a trauma that will be “carried forward from this period”. He added, “I think what we can do is to become sensitive. We just have to become much more aware and much more sensitive as educators, as parents and not just brush this [Covid crisis] aside.”
Mr Kohli said, “As adults, we have found our own coping mechanism and even we have struggled to cope. Children obviously have found their own coping mechanisms.”
“Some of the impacts that we have seen are that children spontaneously start crying, we have seen children becoming very quiet… these were not quiet children, children not wanting to connect with other children,” he added.
Mr Kohli said that there are a lot of impacts that have happened. He added, “We just need to become sensitive, give the time and attention to these children and allow them to heal from this trauma that Covid has brought.”
He said, “This whole approach of denying that something happened and let’s get back now, yes, of course, we will get back to normal and schools will start and life will start to go back to normal.”
“We need to acknowledge that this trauma is going to carry for some time and we need to help young people come out of this by being empathetic, by being aware,” he added.
Socio-economic impacts
The impacts are not limited to behavioural changes. If we talk about the ill impacts of the internet on kids, millions don’t even have access to the internet and don’t even have smartphones.
Covid has also widened the gap between rich and poor. During difficult times some families even lost their sources of income when the global economy plunged into a recession.
However, slowly and gradually the economies are reviving and such issues are to be tackled by global cooperations of governments and institutions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to note that the “Covid generation” is and will be distressed for years. We need to see it and keep a tab.
There’s a need to be sensitive and be aware. Also, we need to acknowledge this trauma to help them cope when they will face the world in post-Covid times.
What can be done at an individual level to address the issues and challenges faced by children during the tough times, should be done on priority.
This is part one of the impact of COVID-19 on children. Part 2 is about parenting during the Covid crisis.
