Virtual School: A Struggle for Most Students

By Kaitlyn Aasheim 

Recently, virtual school has become a part of adolescent lives all over the world. Students were forced to switch to online learning due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Although it’s a necessity to ensure students’ safety, online school can be very difficult for many students.

This generation is already addicted to electronics, and online school is only exacerbating this addiction. Staring at a computer screen for six hours, at a minimum, is hard on students everyday. Plus, with Zoom calls for extra help, students end up being on computers for longer. According to CNBC and Inside Higher ED, researchers have said that electronics have already become very distracting over the past few years, especially among this generation. 

Online learning can also lead to distractions. Students have the ability to sit on their phones during class and not listen to a word their teacher is saying when at home. Texting friends and scrolling through social media are common distractions for students when learning from home. According to Inside Higher Ed, statistics show that adolescents are becoming more easily distracted because of their lack of focus. Online learning is certainly not helping in this area.

Online learning is also nerve-wracking for some students. Adolescents are anxious about unmuting themselves and speaking on platforms like Zoom. Some adolescents feel as if people are going to judge them through the screen or even secretly record them. According to PMC (Pediatrics & Child Health), statistics show that students are more likely to judge and bully other students through the screen rather than to their faces.

Despite its drawbacks, there are some benefits to online learning, of course. Students are much safer learning at home and do not have to worry about risking their health. That being said, students do not learn as much while on a remote or hybrid model, and this can affect their education in the long term. Being in school is very important to students and teachers. It provides students with a chance to interact with people and create lasting relationships among their peers.

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