Mandatory Virtual School During the Pandemic Is Taking Its Toll on America’s Youth | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the LifeZette. The author of this post is David Kamioner.

    Democrat school systems and state governors are doing irreparable damage to kids by depriving them of social interaction with other children by instituting remote schooling, say various authorities on the subject, parents, and media outlets. When schools refuse to open and stress remote learning instead they isolate children and make them less ready to deal with the challenges of today's society. And the economic damage to families can be devastating.

    An article on the website of FEE, the Foundation for Economic Education, notes, "I read an advice article at Slate recently where a mom of a nearly five-year-old daughter wrote in to express concern that her child hasn't seen any friends in five months, since COVID-19 lockdowns began. She said:

• 'Because of COVID, my husband and I have decided to skip [pre-K] altogether and teach her everything she needs to know before kindergarten ourselves. This doesn't worry me academically, but I am concerned about her development and the loss of the social interaction she was going to experience.'

    The advice columnist responded that the mom shouldn't worry about her child's social isolation, saying:

    'She is part of a whole generation of quarantined 5-year-olds. It'll take her a while to catch up once she reenters society, sure — but it's going to take everyone a while.' " The advice columnist is likely not a parent.

    FEE further notes, "This resignation to ongoing government lockdowns, endless social distancing, mandatory mask orders, and travel restrictions — even as the virus wanes in the US — is damaging to our social and economic health, and may be particularly problematic for children who are separated from their peers. While some evidence suggests that young people are faring well outside of forced schooling, with less school-induced stress and anxiety, the same research indicates that children and teens are missing their friends dearly. Social isolation seems to be taking a toll. With most large, urban school districts planning remote-learning only this fall, the isolation is likely to continue for many children-unless parents step in to alleviate this loneliness."

    Anyone who has been to school intrinsically understands the role social interaction plays in childhood development. But since many on the left had horrible social lives while in school, they don't comprehend the need for kids to be around other kids.

    The Wall Street Journal on the issue, "Of all age groups, this virus is probably more socially devastating to teens than any other group. They are bored and they are lonely,' says Joseph P. Allen, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia."

    Another Journal article noted, "Adolescent girls already were experiencing record-high levels of loneliness, anxiety and depression before the pandemic, according to Mary Pipher, a clinical psychologist and author of "Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls"... 'All of the things that a year ago were increasing girls' depression have been exacerbated by the pandemic,' [said] Dr. Pipher.

    So to protect from a supposedly deadly mass pandemic they have politically invested in, Democrats have unleashed perhaps far worse damage on children than the pandemic could ever have done.