A pandemic has swept the world. Some adults have stopped going to work, the elderly are confined to their houses and college students have returned to their hometowns. But what do teens think of these unprecedented times and an upheaval of life as we know it? 

We don’t get up early every morning to attend school, our practices and rehearsals have been cancelled and our social lives have come to a complete halt. It’s been quite an adjustment learning to communicate with our teachers and learn lessons online instead of in the classroom. While it’s nice to be able to sleep in, this new schedule is also a test of self-control. Without a rigid class schedule, I’ve learned to make choices on my own to become better at time management. I’ve also learned patience in dealing with online learning platforms, since technology can sometimes be finicky.

While online learning is totally new for us, online communication with friends is something we are very familiar with. We are constantly texting our friends or sharing posts over social media. Social distancing, however, is a new concept to us. We’re so used to going out with friends to the mall, restaurants and parties that following this new “six-foot rule” seems impossible. But we do it. 

Teens understand the severity of this virus. Even though we might not clean our rooms until we’re prodded, we all are washing our hands, keeping hand sanitizer with us and staying inside. Since the last pandemic was in 1918, none of us have ever seen anything like this in our lifetime. So we are all together in this, learning as we go. It may seem frightening at times, but it’s normal that with uncertainty comes uneasiness. 

Stay safe and stay healthy.

Isabella Dussias is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter/composer from New Jersey. She enjoys writing about issues that are important to today’s youth, and she believes music is an important outlet to connect people and share messages through the creativity of lyric and melody. For more information, please visit IsabellaDussias.com.