Fri-YAY: The Kids are Alright!

As George R.R. Martin wrote in the Game of Thrones books, the night is dark and full of terrors, the day bright and beautiful and full of hope. In this space I plan to mention something that makes me smile: an organization, a story I found, a cute picture, really anything that brightens up my day and I hope might brighten up your day too.

I will admit: this week was a tough one, but I was able to find a glimmer of hope: it looks like teens on average may be doing BETTER in quarantine. A recent survey found that the percentage of teens reporting depression or loneliness was lower in 2020 compared with a similar point in time in 2018. This is despite the fact that teens reported COVID-related disruptions, including parental job loss, concern over contracting the virus, and not being able to see their friends.

Why? Researchers think one of the drivers is somewhat simple: teens have been getting more sleep, with 84% reporting that during quarantine they slept more than seven hours a night, even when school was in session, compared with just over 50% in 2018. They also report more family time: 68% said their families had become closer during the pandemic. Surprisingly, social media use decreased during quarantine, while it seemed that teens pivoted to video-chats to stay in touch with friends.

Of course, this does not reduce the need for vigilance surrounding teen mental health struggles and access to mental health services. But maybe we could take a cue from them by turning into bed a bit early tonight!