“Not only has remote learning created learning difficulties for many students, but it has stripped them of the opportunity to be.” — KS
Learning online has created critical concerns for students beyond academics. Many young people have experienced declines in physical and mental health, increased safety and security worries, and, for some, anxiety about basic needs like their next meal. For high school students in particular, the shift to distance learning has taken a serious toll on emotional wellbeing and social connection.
Below is a first-person account from a high school student, followed by insights from counselors and mental health professionals that highlight the widespread impacts of remote learning on youth.
Student Stories
Before the pandemic, school life had a familiar rhythm: walking down the hallway with classmates, greeting teachers, laughing at lunchtime and rushing to class before the bell. The routine felt ordinary—sometimes boring, but unmistakably real.
“Sit down, notes out,” she remembers. Watching the clock, sighing with friends—these small, shared experiences were part of being a student. Up until March 2020, this pattern was a taken-for-granted part of life.
Then everything changed. The halls emptied, group projects and assemblies vanished, and classrooms moved to a corner of the bedroom. Learning became confined to a small computer screen.
“It was a change nobody anticipated, so I was really unprepared for it,” said an anonymous student. That unpreparedness captured more than academic disruption; it captured a loss of community and routine that many teenagers relied on.
This Lifestyle Is What They Call Online Learning
Mental health issues among students were often hidden in plain sight even before the pandemic. School can trigger stress, anxiety, and depression from a variety of sources—academic pressure, peer relationships, or uncertainty about the future. Many students keep those struggles to themselves because they are unsure how to ask for help.
When schools closed and instruction moved online, those hidden struggles surfaced in new ways. Isolation from friends and reduced access to support systems magnified feelings that were previously managed through daily interactions at school.
Serious Concerns About Students’ Mental Health
Mental health concerns increased as remote learning persisted. A report from October 2020 highlighted that many students felt they had no one to talk to after the shift to online schooling. While some students initially enjoyed the break from daily school stressors, that respite proved temporary.
“There was an initial dip in anxiety because kids got to avoid their triggers, but that was short-lived,” said certified psychologist A.G. As the school year continued, renewed grading pressures, heavier workloads, and limited social interaction created new sources of strain.
In a small anonymous survey of 45 high school students, over 62% reported that the transition to online school negatively affected their mental health, citing increases in stress, depression, and anxiety. Common stressors included grading, rising schoolwork demands, and the loss of in-person social opportunities.
School counselors also noticed shifts in what students worried about. “Students are still facing stress related to classes,” one counselor explained, “but they’re also grieving the experiences they missed—homecoming, clubs, and casual time with friends. Those things made high school feel meaningful, and their absence creates nostalgia and sadness.”
For many students, the pandemic itself remains a central concern, but the limited mental health support available during remote learning has contributed to more severe coping behaviors in some cases.
The Opportunity To Be
“Now I see a huge uptick in depression, binge-watching disorders. I have more clients cutting and binge watching/gaming/eating. I have clients who used to love school completely who are now disengaged. And no one is sleeping,” A.G. reports. These patterns show how a combination of isolation, disrupted routines, and increased digital exposure can harm young people’s wellbeing.
Students expressed similar despair about lost milestones. “There’s not really an optimistic way to put it,” one senior said. “We’ve spent the past three years looking forward to this year with stars in our eyes, and now we’ve lost all of the things that make it so exciting. It seems like there is less to look forward to, and frankly less to hold onto when we’re struggling; it’s all suddenly gone.”
That sense of loss goes beyond cancelled events. For many teens, school is where identities are formed, friendships are nurtured, and opportunities to try new activities arise. Remote learning has interrupted those developmental experiences, making it harder for students to access support, express themselves, and simply be adolescents together.
Addressing these challenges requires attention from families, educators, and mental health professionals who can help restore social connection, create predictable routines, and expand access to counseling and peer support so students can regain a sense of belonging and purpose.