COVID-19’s Affect On Social Interaction Skills

By: Karine Chan, Editor-In-Chief

“Nice, a two week break from school,” we all exclaimed happily during a random day in March of 2020. Little did we know our minuscule “break” would turn into numerous lockdowns and self isolation for nearly a year.

As an extremely extroverted person, going weeks—even days—without face to face interaction has quickly taken its toll on my well-being and overall social skills. In March of last year, when COVID-19 first started impacting daily life, I went a good few months without seeing anybody but my immediate family. Due to the drastic change from a busy life occupied with school, work, and seeing friends on the daily to being alone twenty-four hours a day, I have completely lost my spirit. I found myself quickly becoming a hermit—I slowly stopped answering texts, picking up calls, and even interacting with mutuals on social media. 

Now this is not because I don’t love my friends, but simply because I forgot how to communicate. It’s such a different experience. Never in a million years would I have thought we’d live through such an event, yet we are, and it continues to linger. Having conversations over texts is beyond difficult. While undoubtedly convenient, it is also hard to fully understand the other person as you cannot hear their tone nor see facial expressions. Not to mention, messaging back and forth can be a much more draining task for many people, myself included. 

When the time came for me to make safe plans to see friends, that became a whole new struggle in itself. Because I had gotten so equipped to the abundance of alone time, I found myself to be awkward and out of touch with my once sociable personality. 

Speaking of awkwardness, don’t even get me started on group work through Zoom. Back when we attended in person school, group projects were undoubtedly my favorite aspect. Now, teachers throw a few kids in each breakout room with instructions listed on a Google Doc. I know, sounds boring and uncomfortable, and I’m here to confirm that it 100% is. We all went so long without talking to each other that it feels bizarre having to communicate. As we’ve all become more awkward and reserved, the tension of breakout rooms is like attempting to weld metal with your bare hands. 

If merely talking to a select few over Zoom is hard, I can only begin to imagine the terrors of starting college in a few months. Being a senior, it is honestly terrifying thinking about having to start a new, scary chapter of my life directly after this time of uncharted territory. The class of 2021 can expect to go to college in person as most have announced this. I am shaken to my core about the idea of talking to larger groups of people in person. Knowing full well that I have lost some key communication skills, conversing has become a much more daunting task than ever expected. 

With the prospect of life returning back to somewhat normalcy, one can only hope that society can make a smooth transition together. The phrase “angsty teens” has quite literally described the lump sum of us in one foul swing.