Missing Out on Events and Missing Friends: Teens Talk About Life During Covid-19 (Alissa Grosso)

The global pandemic we are currently facing has brought changes to all of our lives. I interviewed two teens about how their lives have been impacted by social distancing and school closures. Both F and L live in Maine. F is a 14 year-old girl and L is a 15 year-old boy. Here's what they had to say about how they are dealing with things during the age of Covid-19.


How has your life changed since all the coronavirus/Covid-19 stuff began?

F working on school work at home.

F: It definitely changed how I look at school and lonely it can be when you are by yourself. and I've been more lazy.

L: My life changed pretty drastically after the Covid-19. Originally my school was closed for 2 weeks which was crazy enough, but after about a week into that we got another phone call from the school informing us that schools were not to be open until April 27th. This shocked me a lot, I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation until then. It doesn't feel great to be stuck at home all day now, I miss talking to people and going out places. I really feel like I've lost my freedom in a way.

What is a school day like for your right now?

F: I usually sit at the couch or the kitchen table looking at the Gmails and things from Google Classroom and trying to get my work done without getting distracted.

L: School days for me now start around 8:00 when I wake up. I get emailed my assignments from my

L doing the homechooling thing.

teachers and I choose which ones I want to get done first. My school work takes me about the amount of time a normal school day would last but sometimes longer. Asking for help isn't all that easy now because teachers can’t help me directly, so instead I have to wait for an email response back. It’s also very exhausting staring at computer screens all day.

What activities have you had to change or what has been cancelled for you?

F: I was going to go on this big trip called "the freedom tour"  on April break but it was sadly canceled so me and my friends wanted to hang out but now I'm not sure that will happen either.

L: I was looking forward to spring sports and afterschool clubs but now I can’t do those things because they are canceled.

What do you miss most about how things were pre-pandemic?

F: I miss being around my friends and being at school.

L: I guess just the excitement of daily life. Nothing happens anymore because I’m stuck at home all day.

What sort of things have you been doing for fun or to stay busy?

F feeding the chickens.

F: I have been doing school work, taking walks, drawing, reading, playing games on my laptop, and eating.

A fun school assignment that L did with the help of some coffee filters.

L: Recently I've been doing some volunteering at a farm which has kept me sane. I get to draw a lot now which is cool. I also have been listening to a lot of music and learning to play drums.

What tips do you have for other teens who are looking for ways to keep themselves entertained or not get stressed out?

F: I think talking to your friends through FaceTime, Messenger, Gmail, etc really helps you from becoming too lonely. 

L: I would highly recommend FaceTiming friends even if you don’t have anything to talk about. It's still a healthy idea so you can destress and connect more. I would also recommend going outside more and just appreciating the outdoors.

F hanging out with Salem the cat.

Is there anything you like better about this time of social distancing? If so, what?

F: I really enjoy the amount of sleep I'm getting, I can cook my own food and be around my pets

L: Yes in fact! I do enjoy my alone time. I like how I can draw more and put all my focus into things I want to do.

What's the first thing you want to when things get back to normal?

F: I would definitely want hang out with all my friends.

L: I think just catching up with people and thanking all my teachers for all the hard work they've done to help us students through these challenging times.

L working on some artwork.

You can check out more of L's artwork on his Sketchy Lars Instagram page. 

Alissa Grosso is a YA and adult author who's presently doing the social distancing thing in Pennsylvania. She's also proud to be the aunt of these two teens. You can find out more about her and her books at alissagrosso.com.