>>> NOW TO OUR NETWORKWIDE
SERIES, IT’S CALLED "KIDS UNDER
PRESSURE."
WE SURVEYED NEARLY 11,000 HIGH
SCHOOLERS.
WE BEGAN BACK IN 2009.
>> THE STUDY WAS REALLY
INTERESTING.
HERE’S WHAT THE STUDY FOUND.
FEMALE STUDENTS ARE MORE THAN
TWICE AS LIKELY AS MALES TO CITE
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AS A MAJOR
SOURCE OF STRESS.
SINCE LAST SPRING, 59% OF
STUDENTS SAY THEIR WORRIES ABOUT
COLLEGE HAVE INCREASED.
>> THE STUDY ALSO FOUND NEARLY
HALF OF STUDENTS SAY THEIR
STRENGTH OF THEIR RELATIONSHIPS
WITH TEACHERS AND PEERS HAS
DECREASED AND THAT TEACHERS
DON’T UNDERSTAND THEIR LIVES
OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL.
>> WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM THE
TEENS THEMSELVES.
SO DONNA HAD A CANDID
CONVERSATION WITH EIGHT KIDS
BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 18 TO
FIND OUT HOW THEY’RE HOLDING UP.
>> RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ARE
OVER LEARNING THROUGH A SCREEN.
HOW HAS REMOTE LEARNING BEEN
HARD ON YOU?
>> YOU CAN’T REALLY REPLACE
HUMAN CONNECTION WITH TECHNOLOGY
AND A WINDOW SCREEN.
>> THERE’S LIKE NO CHANGE.
SO YOU’RE JUST GETTING UP, GOING
TO THE SCREEN, DOING WORK, AND
THEN STAYING ON THAT SCREEN
HOURS AFTER CLASSES ARE DONE TO
JUST COMPLETE WORK AND THEN GO
TO SLEEP AND DO IT ALL OVER
AGAIN.
IT’S SO HARSH ON THE MIND.
>> I COULD BE TALKING TO MY
FRIENDS 24/7 ALL THE TIME BEING
ON FACETIME.
IT’S THE CRAZIEST THING.
BECAUSE SOMEHOW YOU CAN STILL
MANAGE TO FEEL ALONE.
>> AS FRESHMEN, HOW DO YOU FORM
RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLASSMATES
AND TEACHERS?
>> YOU DON’T.
HAVING ONLY EVER BEEN INTO THE
SCHOOL BUILDING ONCE, YOU’RE NOT
ALREADY FRIENDS WITH ALL THE
PEOPLE YOU’RE SEEING THROUGH
LITTLE CAMERAS.
THEY’RE BASICALLY STRANGERS.
IT’S TOUGH BECAUSE I’M GUESSING
IT’S NOT THE SENIOR YEAR THAT
YOU DREAMED OF.
>> I GET REALLY SAD, THERE’S
NOTHING DRIVING ME TO GET OUT OF
BED.
THERE’S NOTHING EXTRA FOR US TO
DO.
I’VE WORKED MY WHOLE LIFE VERY
HARD IN SCHOOL.
SENIOR YEAR IS GOING TO BE JUST
KIND OF LIKE, HAVE SOME FUN, PEP
RALLIES.
IT’S ALMOST SILENT IN THE
HALLWAYS.
AND THEN THEY ALSO DON’T WANT US
TO BE NEAR EACH OTHER.
WE’RE SPACED OUT.
EVERYONE JUST KIND OF HAS THEIR
HEAD DOWN.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE
MISSING OUT?
>> IN RETROSPECT TALKING TO YOUR
FRIENDS IN THE HALLWAYS OR
ESPECIALLY AT LUNCH, IT’S SOUL
CRUSHING JUST TO NOT BE AROUND
ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND TO HAVE
THOSE GREAT EXPERIENCES WITH
THEM.
>> I’M A REALLY BIG BALLET
DANCER.
NOW I’M DOING MY AUDITIONS FROM
MY LIVING ROOM HOPING THAT THEY
CAN SEE ME FROM MY CAMERA ANGLE,
THAT THEY’LL ACCEPT ME.
IT’S DEFINITELY TOUGH.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT PARENTS,
TEACHERS, AND ADULTS TO KNOW
ABOUT TEENS AND KIDS RIGHT NOW?
>> WE’RE JUST STILL TRYING TO DO
OUR BEST, AND OUR BEST ISN’T THE
SAME AS OUR BEST TWO YEARS AGO.
>> I THINK THE TEACHERS REALLY
ARE TRYING THEIR BEST.
MY PARENTS ARE IN THE HEALTH
CARE FIELD, AND I THINK I HAVE
GAINED SUCH A RESPECT FOR PEOPLE
THAT I DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE.
I HOPE EVERYONE FEELS
APPRECIATED.
>> GENERALLY SPEAKING RIGHT NOW
HOW IS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
>> I WOULD SAY THAT IT’S MORE
LIKE DEVELOPED RATHER THAN
SAYING DECLINED, PER SE, BECAUSE
THERE ARE JUST SO MANY THINGS
OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PANDEMIC
THAT I’VE, LIKE, THERE’S NEW
EMOTIONS AND NEW EXPERIENCES AND
NEW STRESS FACTORS.
>> WHEN I’M IN SCHOOL, THOSE ARE
THE BEST MOMENTS OF MY WEEK.
ANY OTHER DAY, IT STRESSES ME
OUT BECAUSE I NEED TO SEE
PEOPLE.
>> SO, ARE THE KIDS GOING TO BE
ALL RIGHT?
>> I THINK WE WILL BE FINE.
I DON’T THINK IT’S LIFE
ALTERING.
I THINK AT THE MOMENT IT IS VERY
UPSETTING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
BUT I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL
GET THROUGH THIS.
>> WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM
THIS YEAR?
>> I FOUND WHO I THINK I MEANT
TO BE THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
NOW I FINALLY KIND OF KNOW WHO I
AM, KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO.
>> MY SELF-MOTIVATION HAS HAD TO
DEVELOP BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
I DON’T HAVE MY TEACHERS PUSHING
DOWN ON ME TO DO THAT
ASSIGNMENT.
SO AFTER I FIND MOTIVATION IN
MYSELF TO DO THOSE THINGS.
>> BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT.
>> THE ABILITY TO CALM DOWN AND
SAY, OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO DO
THIS.
AND I THINK THAT’S A SKILL THAT
WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO CARRY
ON, BECAUSE LIFE IS NOT GOING TO
GO YOUR WAY AND WE HAVE
DEFINITELY LEARNED THAT.
>> DURING THIS, I’VE MADE
FRIENDS THAT I DIDN’T THINK I
WOULD HAVE.
WE DON’T HAVE LIKE THE SAME
SENSE OF STYLE OR LIKE WE DON’T
LISTEN TO THE SAME TYPE OF
MUSIC, BUT WE ALL HAVE SOME
COMMON GROUND.
>> THAT’S A GOOD POINT.
YOU SORT OF HAVE TO GO DEEPER
WITH MAKING FRIENDS THROUGH
ZOOM.
I’M JUST GOING TO GO OUT ON A
LIMB AND SAY THAT WE’VE BECOME
FRIENDS THROUGH ZOOM.
ANYONE ELSE AGREE?
[ LAUGHTER ]
HIGH-FIVE ME IF YOU AGREE.
>> WOW.
>> OKAY.
I’M SO BLOWN AWAY BY THOSE KIDS.
>> HOW INTERESTING IS THAT?
I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS GENERATION
BECAUSE THEY’VE HAD TO GO
THROUGH ALL OF THIS, IS GOING TO