If someone would’ve told me that this was how I would be spending my teenage years I wouldn’t believe them. I always pictured myself making Friday night plans with my friends and living life to the fullest. Instead of making sure I get in the house before my 10 p.m. curfew, I’m spending every hour at home wondering what could’ve been.

 “I mean it sucks but it’s not like I was going out a lot before the pandemic,” Junior in Pre-Law, Jeanne Chevalier said. “But I’m the planner in my group of friends so it sucks that I can’t plan to go to the mall, the movies, go to each other’s houses, the water park, etc. I feel like my teen years are being wasted lowkey.”

 This pandemic took the world by storm and affected everyone in unexpected ways. I’m one of many people who didn’t think it would last this long. In a blink of an eye, two weeks became a year and counting. 

 Knowing what I know now I wouldn’t have simply said goodbye to my friends and I would’ve hugged them tighter with no plans of letting go. The past cannot be undone and sadly we are being faced with other problems.

 Living an isolated life can be torturous for some. It drives me crazy looking at the same four walls every day and watching time pass hour by hour. Every age group has been negatively impacted, but for teens, it can be quite challenging living this unfamiliar life. 

 “It feels isolating,” Freshman in Medical, Jazlyne Mora said. “I feel like I’m trapped in a bubble even now with the little bit of freedom we do have, I know things will never be the same. I feel as if my life has been twisted around and I’m forced to live this new life in a new environment. I miss my old life.”

 According to the Urban Dictionary, the term “Quaran-teen” is defined as “Kids born between 2001 and 2007, who were technically teenagers during the Covid-19 quarantine period in 2020.” Being a Quaran-teen comes with its baggage. 

 There’s constant fear, grief, depression, anxiety, stress, and boredom. WebMD states, “Researchers found that 46% of 977 parents of teens said their child has shown signs of a new or worsening mental health condition since the start of the pandemic.” Some days are harder than others. 

 Balancing mental health, school, work, and a social life can be difficult, but knowing that I’m not going through this alone makes me feel more at ease. Every teen in the world is experiencing the same struggles as I am which brings me a sense of relief and comfort.

 “The pandemic has caused me to be less diligent with my schoolwork and really destroyed my motivation to do anything school-related, let alone anything else,” Dayana Renoit, a Sophomore in Medical said. “Socializing, even with my own friends has gotten harder to partake in which really sucks because I love to talk to people.”

 Despite all the unimaginable things we went through, we still endured it and adjusted. We may have a long way to go, but this pandemic won’t knock us down and keep us on the floor. In fact, some people took the opportunity to better themselves.

  “At first, it was hard because everything changed,” Kethia Sainmil, a Junior in Pre-Agriculture/Engineering said. “We couldn’t visit family or see our friends, but I think this time has helped me grow mentally. It helped me see another perspective in life, I guess.”

 This may be the hardest situation we’ve encountered as adolescents, but we can only go up from here. Not everyone can say they are a Quaranteen so we must live up to the name. Let’s continue to be the strong and competent people we are as we navigate this untraditional lifestyle.