Making Sense of a ‘Changed’ World: COVID-19 and Children’s Mental Health
By Toolika Wadhwa
The first quarter of 2020 was marked by a fear of COVID-19 in India. A sudden lockdown was declared and although it seemed to be initially for a finite period, it soon became clear that the period of uncertainty would continue for a while. While adults grappled with illness, loss of job, relocation, and a changed lifestyle, children were themselves faced with a completely alien set of circumstances. The experiences of children have been heterogeneous, essentially marked by their socio-economic contexts and family circumstances. This essay delimits itself to a discussion on the experiences of children from middle-class, urban contexts.
The initial experiences of the pandemic were marked by novelty and an attempt at making sense of what was happening. As the situation slowly settled, many children realized the loneliness that accompanied them when they were at home all day. They missed their conversations with friends in school and the long hours of play in neighbourhood parks. Adolescents quickly resorted to communicating more and more through social media. Younger children, who did not have access to mobile phones, had to be dependent on their parents to allow them to use their phones for something as ‘banal’ as just chit-chatting with friends and sharing their selfies. As online classes in schools became mandatory in private schools, access to devices where they could engage with their friends became easier. Video conferencing platforms started being used for playing games together. In the absence of physical interaction, children thus learnt to be with each other through virtual platforms.