Here we are 11 months into this pandemic and in many ways with the vaccine rolling out there is a feeling of hope, a ray of light. Maybe the end is in sight? But the daily grind is still really hard. Really, really hard.
Below are links to three articles written about the impact of the pandemic on teens, mothers and the elderly. The first two articles are outstanding. "The Loneliness of an Interrupted Adolescence" details how teens are being impacted. Teens are trying to meet the developmental milestones of establishing their identity and gaining independence and they are trying to reach that milestone during a time of big changes & losses- school has moved online, they are isolated from friends and extended family all while having access to social media 24/7. The article interviews teens who are volunteering at Teen Line in Los Angeles in order to both help themselves and help others. Here is a link to Teen Line, a wonderful resource that is available to teens from 6 PM to 10 PM PST, every night. https://teenlineonline.org/ Their number is 310-855-HOPE (4673). If you need a 24/7 hotline, please text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime & Crisis Text Line will help. If you prefer to call a hotline, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The second link is to a series of of NY Times articles on how the pandemic is impacting mothers. The collection is called "America's Mothers are in Crisis." All the articles are really good. The articles had me nodding my head. It was both validating and eye opening and contains many sobering statistics such as there have been 4,637,000 payroll jobs lost by the women in the US since the pandemic began and 32% of these jobs were lost due to childcare issues. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/02/04/parenting/working-moms-coronavirus.html
The third article discusses how the pandemic has impacted our seniors. This article states the factors involved but didn't propose solutions. It left me wanting more. And honestly, I haven't found a really good article yet. It seems like our seniors are an afterthought and in many ways, throughout the pandemic they have been. A good reminder to check in with our loved ones and our neighbors who may be even more isolated and lonely than those of us with young families or still working.
Links to the articles: