BEYOND THE NUMBERS AND SPEAK TO
KIDS FROM A SCHOOL I KNOW WELL.
>> I WISH TEACHERS KNEW THAT ON
SOME DAYS, I CAN’T HANDLE ANY
MORE WORK.
>> I WISH MY PARENTS KNEW HOW
MUCH I STRESS.
>> STRESS.
>> I’M NOT JUST DEALING WITH
ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL STRESS, I’M
DEALING WITH FAMILY STRESS, TOO.
>> HOW STRESSFUL IT WAS TO BE A
STUDENT DURING COVID-19.
>> Reporter: IT’S A COMMON
THREAD WEAVING TOGETHER HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, A FEELING OF MOUNTING
STRESS AND LESS MOTIVATION TO
LEARN.
>> SOMETIMES IT’S REALLY HARD TO
JUST BE MOTIVATED TO, LIKE,
ACTUALLY GET ON THE ZOOM AND TO
DO THE WORK.
JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT
DOESN’T EVEN MATTER.
IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE NOT REALLY
LEARNING.
>> Reporter: MIA MER NOONHERNAND
SENIOR IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, AT A
SCHOOL I KNOW A LITTLE SOMETHING
ABOUT.
MIA’S HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE HAS
BEEN DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT THAN
MINE.
THE PANDEMIC FORCED AM-FI
STUDENTS TO BE REMOTE FOR MOST
OF THE LAST YEAR.
THEIR RETURN TO LEARNING
DELAYED, AS ARIZONA REPORTED THE
HIGHEST TRANSMISSION RATE IN THE
COUNTRY LAST MONTH.
DO YOU FEEL MORE STRESS NOW THAT
YOU ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF A
COMPUTER MOST OF THE DAY AND
HAVING TO LEARN ONLINE?
>> YEAH.
THE SECOND MY LAST ZOOM CLASS IS
OVER, I JUST WANT TO BE AWAY
FROM SCHOOL FOR AS LONG AS I
CAN.
I’LL WAIT UNTIL THE MID OF THE
NIGHT
-- MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO DO MY
HOMEWORK SO I CAN HAVE FREE
TIME.
>> Reporter: MIA IS NOT ALONE.
IN ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
STUDIES OF ITS KIND, NBC NEWS
PARTNERED WITH CHALLENGE SUCCESS
TO ASK NEARLY 11,000 HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES
DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THE FINDINGS, DISHEARTENING,
WITH 42% OF STUDENTS REPORTING A
DECREASE IN THEIR ENGAGEMENT
WITH LEARNING.
56% SAYING THEIR STRESS RELATED
TO SCHOOL INCREASED SINCE THE
PANDEMIC STARTED, ESPECIALLY
AMONG GIRLS AND STUDENTS OF
COLOR.
MORE KIDS ARE ALSO REPORTING
THEIR MENTAL HEALTH IS A MAJOR
SOURCE OF STRESS.
>> ALWAYS BEEN STRESSED ABOUT
SCHOOL.
THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN STRESSED
ABOUT SCHOOLWORK.
NOW, UVALAEYOU’VE LAYERED THAT W
THIS WHOLE OTHER EXISTENCE.
>> Reporter: TO MAKE A
CHALLENGING LEARNING SITUATION
EVEN MORE DIFFICULT, MANY
STUDENTS DEAL WITH
ALL-TOO-COMMON TECH ISSUES
DURING CLASS.
SOMETHING WE WITNESSED
FIRSTHAND.
>> WITH ZOOM, THERE IS MORE WORK
ADDED TO THE CLASSES.
>> Reporter: HOLD ON ONE SECOND,
ETHAN.
YOU FROZE
SORRY, I’LL ASK YOU AGAIN.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO DO
SCHOOL ON A COMPUTER OR ZOOM?
>> IT GETS TIRING, OBVIOUSLY,
WITH WI-FI PROBLEMS.
>> Reporter: SENIOR ETHAN
HITCHINGS HAS DONE WHAT HE CAN
TO BE POSITIVE, STAYING ACTIVE,
AND SEEING FRIENDS DURING
BASKETBALL PRACTICE AND GAMES.
BUT HE SAYS WORRYING OVER SCHOOL
AND HOMEWORK HAS RESULTED IN A
NEW LEVEL OF EXHAUSTION.
>> I DON’T TRY TO BLOW OFF
CLASS.
I JUST -- I JUST OVERSLEEP
SOMETIMES OR I GET CAUGHT UP
DOING HOMEWORK AND FORGET TO
LOG-ON TO ANOTHER CLASS.
>> Reporter: HE’S ONE OF MANY
TEENS SAYING THEY’RE SLEEPING
LESS.
THE PANDEMIC LEADING STUDENTS TO
FEEL MORE DISCONNECTED FROM
TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES.
BEFORE LAST SPRING, THIS JUNIOR,
MIRIAM, HAD A PACKED SCHEDULE,
BALANCING CLUBS, CHEERLEADING,
AND BASKETBALL.
>> I LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN
SCHOOL A LOT.
>> Reporter: ONE DAY, YOU HAVE A
MILLION THINGS TO DO, A MILLION
PLACES TO GO, AND THEN EVERYBODY
IS AT HOME.
WHAT HAS THAT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?
>> IT HASN’T BEEN THE GREATEST.
>> Reporter: MIRIAM ADMITS IT IS
HARDER TO CONCENTRATION NOW,
ESPECIALLY WITH STRESS LEADING
TO MORE APPRECIATE HEADACHES.
SHE’S GRATEFUL FOR UNDERSTANDING
TEACHERS.
>> THERE’S TIMES WHERE MY MENTAL
HEALTH IS WORSE THAN OTHER DAYS,
BUT IT’S GOTTEN BETTER.
>> Reporter: THE PANDEMIC’S
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON STUDENTS A
BIG CONCERN FOR PRINCIPAL
A.J.MALIK.
>> WE HAVE SOME SOPHOMORES OR
CAMPUS THAT HAVE REALLY ONLY
BEEN IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR A
SEMESTER.
THEY’RE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH
UNDERSTANDING WHAT REAL HIGH
SCHOOL IS LIKE.
>> WELCOME BACK, LADIES.
>> Reporter: YESTERDAY, A
POSITIVE STEP FORWARD.
HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS ARRIVED
BACK ON CAMPUS FOR THE FIRST DAY
OF HYBRID LEARNING THIS
SEMESTER, AN EMBRACE OF A
FAMILIAR ROUTINE OF THE PAST, AS
THEY LOOK AHEAD TO WHAT COMES
NEXT.
>> I WANTED TO DO ALL THESE
THINGS MY JUNIOR YEAR, GO TO
DANCES AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE
PROM, BUT HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR, I
WILL BE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS.
>> Reporter: WHAT ARE YOUR
PLANS?
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO
TO COLLEGE?
>> I’LL BE GOING TO JOHNS
HOPKINS IN THE FALL.
>> I’VE ALREADY GOT ACCEPTED TO
MANY UNIVERSITIES, SO I’M VERY
CONFIDENT I’LL FIND A GOOD
COLLEGE.
>> Reporter: THERE’S SO MUCH
HOPE ON THE HORIZON.
>> YEAH.
>> THOSE ARE SOME GREAT KIDS,
LET ME TELL YOU.
>> WOW.
>> ETHAN SAYS HE’S LOOKING
FORWARD TO STUDYING, YOU KNOW,
WHEN HE GOES TO COLLEGE AND GO
INTO BUSINESS.
MIA IS LOOKING INTO MEDICINE.
AS WE JUST SAW MIRIAM BALANCING
HIGH SCHOOL WITH OTHER CLASSES.
SHE WANTS TO BE A PHYSICAL
THERAPIST.
THEY’RE INCREDIBLE KIDS.
WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT
THEY HAVE TO DO, YOU START TO
REALLY UNDERSTAND, THIS IS SUPER
STRESSFUL.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE TECH
ISSUES.
I MEAN, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF KIDS WHO JUST DON’T
EVEN HAVE ACCESS.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> WE EXPERIENCED IT DOING ZOOM
CALLS.
THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO GET THE
CLASSES.
A LOT OF THE KIDS WOULD SAY, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU’RE IN CLASS, YOU
MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION, LIKE, I’M
NOT SURE I CAUGHT THAT, RAISE
YOUR HAND, OR ASK A FELLOW
STUDENT, WHAT’D THEY SAY?
YOU CAN’T, YOU DON’T.
IT’S JUST -- YOU KNOW, THEY’RE
HAVING TO BASICALLY TEACH
THEMSELVES.
A LOT OF THEM SAID THAT.
WE GO TO CLASS, THEN I DIDN’T
CATCH IT, SO I HAVE TO STUDY IT
AND FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF.
THEN I HAVE HOMEWORK ON TOP OF
THAT.
AND THEY’RE STUCK IN A ROOM ALL
DAY.
>> AND YOU’RE ON A COMPUTER FOR
SCHOOL, FOR HOMEWORK, ON
COMPUTERS ALL THE TIME.
I LOVED HOW YOU ENDED IT.
IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD AT THE END.
I STARTED TO GET STRESSED OUT.
IT FELT GOOD.
TO WATCH THE TEACHERS WITH THE
POM-POMS AS STUDENTS ARE
RETURNING.
>> THIS ISN’T FOREVER.
THERE IS HOPE ON THE HORIZON.
THESE KIDS HAVE GREAT, BRIGHT
FUTURES.
>> WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE THIS