Quarantine as a teen

For the last one week, Pakistan has been under lockdown due to the spread of a pandemic called the coronavirus also known as Covid-19. This virus started in Wuhan, China in late 2019. Fortunately, due to Pakistan’s government's quick response, there have been a limited number of cases so far. This disease has impacted people from all age brackets. Covid-19 has forced the global population into what is known as self-quarantine.

Being teenagers, our lives have been affected the most. Everything changed in the blink of an eye. We have had to acquaint ourselves with a new approach to online classes. Such transformations test a student’s flexibility and adaptability towards new methods of learning. Students have to sit in front of screens for hours and hours which introduces a new variety of challenges for us to face such as laptop availability or internet connection. As a high-school teenager, the unpredictability of Covid-19 caught us off guard. It resulted in multiple examinations being canceled such as SAT, IB Diploma and the Cambridge A-level test. These cancellations eliminated the motive for students to prepare all over again. Moreover, with all these rapid changes, students have never been more confused about their college applications. Covid-19 has not only affected our learning method but has also narrowed down our social interaction as teenagers are forced to interact only through social media apps. As a teenager, this virus has not only deeply affected our lifestyles but also opened our eyes to how unprepared the world’s health system was.

Muhammad Rafay Waqar

Lahore