EDITORIAL

2020 has many lessons to take into 2021; pandemic brings these lessons to light

2020 was not an easy year to be on Earth. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we as a society relied on technology to keep us connected more than ever as schools and workplaces became remote. Although being remote is no one’s first choice, lessons can be learned from our time online, as remote learning will almost certainly continue in 2021.

Humans are social beings. We have a desire to connect to one another and form meaningful relationships with each other. The pandemic made this difficult because of the limitations to meeting in person. As a society, we can use this shared experience of being online to teach ourselves that the time we get together is precious.

In learning this, we also learned that humans are resilient. This pandemic has been more difficult for some in comparison to others, but we all have been impacted by it. Despite all the challenges that have been thrown at us by COVID-19, we have managed to stay strong and adapt, as shown by mask mandates and certain events being held socially distanced.

With staying strong, society has better acknowledged this year that it is okay to struggle. Mental health has been hit hard by the pandemic, as many of us have been isolated from our peers to protect our own health and communities.

As mentioned earlier, we thrive off of connecting with one another, and the pandemic halted this due to social distancing. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported an increase in the percentage of adults who reported that worry and stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health from 32% in March 2020 to 53% in July 2020.

The negative impact left on people’s mental health due to COVID-19 has helped highlight the importance of mental health. Hopefully, when we return to whatever the new normal is, this emphasis on mental health will remain so more resources can be devoted to it.

Another unlikely lesson we can take from this pandemic is that we cannot control the uncontrollables. Life and its happenings can be unpredictable, as we had no control over the vast impact COVID-19 would have on our lives.

Now, all we can do as a society is reflect on these lessons we have learned during the pandemic. Although we cannot control everything, we can do our part to help others. By wearing masks, socially distancing ourselves and following COVID-19 guidelines, hopefully we can get back to some version of normal soon.

SPEAKUP

GRAPHIC BY MOLLY HELSEL

What lessons have you learned with society’s reliance on technology this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Travis Router freshman “I learned how to stay more connected with people despite not being able to see anyone at all.”

Mason Alm sophomore “I’ve learned how to stay motivated and manage time. It’s so easy to fall back and not do anything being at home and with no teacher you see every day.”

Chloe Fridrich junior “I’ve most improved on time management. A lot of my teachers have the whole week on their agendas, so sometimes I try to work ahead at night.”

Allie Dockins senior “I have learned that life is easier with technology in a time where everyone has to be socially distant.”