THE word next to isolation is loneliness, frequently. This is one precarious situation the students find themselves in the distance learning approach. They are not literally alone in their houses since they have their family members with them. But, oftentimes, school-aged children, particularly adolescents, only see their peers as companions, hence, the feeling of isolation despite the protection they enjoy at homes.
In a classroom setting, students get to be with their friends and classmates with whom they can interact with. They can share their concerns, reservations, excitements, fear and all kinds of emotions stuck inside them. This is the kind of environment the school brings, not only a strict learning environment. Now they have to be with their parents and siblings, which in many aspects, is beneficial to them. However, this is the point where students want and expect to be with their friends and schoolmates. At home, there is a certain standard of behavior they have to adhere to, but with their friends, they are hardly judged in what they do.
Isolation can also come in when students are having a difficult time answering their modules. Without their classmates as objects of comparison, they think that they are the only ones having problems understanding their lessons. So, it is highly possible for them to think that they are good-for-nothing individuals. In the class, they feel comfortable even if they did not do classwork because they know that the others failed to comply as well. This might be a positive effect, but if a student does not manage his/her emotions well, the tendency is, there will be an adverse outcome. Students may also develop self-pity and self-blame for not doing well.
Isolation has been identified in a study as a barrier to effective and efficient online learning. We are a social being and the self needs more than the presence of family members especially during the adolescent years. The recurring trend of defining happiness is being surrounded by friends. Although this may not be the case, a realization will come, I believe, in adulthood. We have students who prefer to lock up in their rooms because they have trouble connecting with their parents. Their preferences differ. Their values contrast. So instead of having a harmonious relationship, children and parents usually clash.
Conflict in the family can add to the feeling of isolation among students. Poverty is one of the main concerns in the region and, apparently, this is one of the primary causes of conflicts in the family. The lack of gadgets that prevent them to join online classes and consultation becomes a source of conflict between students and parents. The students will have no one to share these concerns unlike when they are with their friends.
The situation, in general, does not help the cause for young people. People ages 17 and below have restrictions from going out. The primary talk of the public is health and the students are becoming passive observers of these discussions. They cannot join significant deliberations because it is perceived that young people have less to contribute to solving the problem. They are asked and sometimes forced to stay and remain in their homes because society considers them as one of the most vulnerable groups of people to contract the disease. The other is the group of elders. Somehow along the line, the message is they are weak and need to be protected.
Support is crucial, particularly, from the family, school and the government. We cannot just invoke the word protection as the reason for them to stay home. There has to be strategies for them to meet their social needs in a safe manner to get them out of the tragic of isolation. We have cases of suicides already, though these cases are not directly attributed to isolations though I believe this adds to the feeling of emptiness and hopelessness, which trigger suicide incidents.
Isolation among students is one of the effects of the pandemic. It is important that these learners understand that the reason why they are contained in their homes is for their protection, though this may not be enough. The perception of isolation may not be all negative and burdensome if learners understand the case fully. If not, isolation will result in a deeper psychological concern among these learners.