Initially, digital learning was pleasant and practical. Parents no longer had to drive their children to school or prepare food. Some children even went to school in their pajamas. However, in the long run, students, parents, teachers, and schools recognized the difficulties of online classrooms, particularly in regard to mental health.
Students, parents and even teachers’ mental health was affected by online education. It is possible that it will worsen for people who already have mental health issues. Consider what it would be like for a child to spend hours each day in front of Zoom without any social connection or recreation with their peers. Parents became increasingly active in their children’s homework, acting as teachers. Teachers and professors are working longer hours and are under pressure to give high-quality instruction without attending face-to-face classes.
During the COVID online school period, Stanford researchers had a new term called “Zoom Fatigue” which was established to define feelings of tiredness following extended Zoom classes or video conference calls. There is information overload in an online class, and staring at a screen for lengthy periods of time is psychologically tiring. Students find it more difficult to learn, and despite the fact that they are only sitting in front of a computer, they feel physically exhausted. Virtual learning weariness is real, and it can make students and educators anxious and stressed.
Schools are not just places where students learn new things from books; they are also places where friendships are formed and memories are made. Social contact is the best way to learn communication and other social skills. Kids, teenagers, and even instructors need to mingle with their peers. However, since the COVID outbreak, there has been a lack of engagement, and students had a lack of social isolation. This has a significant impact on a student’s mental health. Loneliness, a lack of motivation, and isolation are all symptoms of online learning’s lack of social engagement. Many people would agree that there would be a lack of communication skill development when they don’t meet other people in person. In their formative years, young adults require social engagement. To learn how to socialize, children need to go on playdates with other children their age. Professors, too, require engagement with their friends. Nobody wants to feel alone.
During the school day, pupils in a regular classroom follow a fixed schedule. When it is time to get up, go to school, go to class, complete homework, have lunch with friends, and participate in extracurricular activities. With online learning, it will never be the same. It is difficult to stay focused in online classes. Students were unable to concentrate adequately in class due to a lack of separation between home and school life, a lack of adherence to a schedule, and distractions at home. As a result, students procrastinated and missed deadlines. Both students and their parents experienced pressure, worry, and anxiety as a result. However, with technology improving, there have been various new ways of staying connected socially and learning at the same time, hopefully, these minor changes can make an impact on the current online students.