Teenagers in the Time of Coronavirus
Being physically and socially isolated through the coronavirus
crisis is not easy for anyone. The bitterness of isolation has affected teen lives
and young adults more than any other age groups. Communication with friends and
family, connection with peers, and physical activities are essential for children,
teens, and young adults. It is through social activities that they will develop
healthy body, emotional intelligence and strong personality.
While starting and
keeping close friendships is critical in the process of growing up, it is also important
to develop social and emotional growth. These skills provide them the abilities
to be prepared for more challenges in their future tasks.
It is crucial to young adults to learn through social life the
skills to cooperate, solve conflicts, and understand each other’s needs. It is
also important to learn about themselves; their uniqueness, their ability to
give and be given, to have fun and make others laugh.
Most of the teens now are spending a considerable amount of
time on TikTok, Instagram, FaceTime, video Games, watching films, YouTube with memes
for hours with enormous fascination and obsession. A new phenomenon called youth
Culture has brought a concept in which teenagers design a subculture with certain
norms, interests, behaviors, vocabularies, clothes, fashions and beliefs that
differ from the culture of older generations. The new teenage culture in
digital age is someway foreign to those born before the millennium.
Film series such as
Normal People,
Sex Education, Everything's Gonna Be Okay and many more, are recently bringing the
phenomenon to light, by analyzing and studying this particular culture through
their eyes.
Having this in mind, focusing on how different age groups
deal with isolation in the time of Coronavirus quarantine, I interviewed a brilliant
fifteen-year-old “Kian”. A teenage boy of so many different talents. “Kian” is
indeed an extraordinary individual, reflective and profound since his
childhood. I have always admired his imagination, creativity, poetic
perspective and intelligence. I must
admit that I have been in awe of his achievements all these years as a writer,
photographer, actor, dancer and music lover. But this current two months during
the quarantine is an exception. He wrote two graphic novels, three screenplays
and took large number of photos since March 15.
“Kian” wakes up every morning, fixes his breakfast, helps
his parents, participates in zoom classes, faceTime’s with his friends and then works
on his scripts as he acts out each character he creates. Great in writing
dialogue, significant in sci-fi genre, he forms a theme with conflict in
situation and characters, with interesting humorous atmosphere and colorful
language.
Title: From the collection of: Worm's Eye
Here is my interview with him:
Q- How would you like to introduce yourself to those who do
not know you?
Kian: I hope I can be one of
those people that can help find someone a new place in this world.
Q- How old are you? What are your interests in life?
Kian: I am 15 years
old. I would someday like to become a filmmaker or a photographer.
Q- How do you describe yourself living in the time of corona quarantine as a
teenage boy? How do you describe the situation?
Kian: I have mixed
feelings during the quarantine. I feel lonely since I cannot have physical
contact with my friends. Most of the time,
they are not available to FaceTime. I also feel like I get a lot of stuff done considering there is a lot
of time to spend in quarantine.
Q- How was your first reaction about the deadly virus and
the global lockdown?
Kian: At first, I thought that was the time when the world
would finally end. But when I heard the doctors were doing everything they can,
I found that there was hope that things can get better one step at a time.
Q- How do you see the effect of the pandemic on human’s
life? Any predictions about the future effects?
Kian: I think people
will be more cautious around the environment by washing our hands more often
and limiting physical contact.
Q- Describe how your life has changed through the experience
of isolation?
Kian: It’s been more
quiet now that it’s just me and my family. I have to take care of myself and my
family more often by doing chores such as washing the dishes, taking out the
trash, doing me and my family’s laundry, etc.
Q- What do you do with your time?
Kian: I like to play
video games, but I’m dedicated to writing stories.
Q- Describe the positive and negative sides of this
situation.
Kian: The good thing
is that I can spend all the time you’d like. But the con is I can’t spend time
with people other than your family physically.
Q- Did the lockdown/isolation change your perspective of
life, of yourself and of those you know?
Kian: Yes. It has
made me more aware of people and everything surrounding us that has a purpose
to be in this world.
Q- what are your dreams about tomorrow?
Kian: I dream that
tomorrow, my daily goal(s) can be achieved.
Q- Do you remember your dreams at night? Any interesting
dreams you have had recently?
Kian: I remember most
of my dreams and get inspiration from that dream and apply it to my stories.
Q- You write screenplays and you do photography. Talk about
your experiences. How do you make a distinction between the two artistic
genres/mediums? I would like you to elaborate on the form of writing for
film/tv ( Sci- fi) and creating poetic moments in photography ?
Kian: Photography helps me deal with stress. I like to take
different angles or filters to get my mind off of other things. Writing helps
me feel active and creative.
