Walking through Seventh Street wasn’t the only thing that disappeared when we unexpectedly entered a pandemic.
Friendships, academic relationships and everyday interactions were jeopardized during the last year, leaving some San Jose State students feeling both isolated yet appreciative for personal growth.
Psychology junior Jada Wilson said the absence of socializing in the last year has greatly affected her. She said she doesn’t know how to act around other people anymore and her anxiety rises when she anticipates certain interactions.
“[The] lack of interaction and the feeling of losing connections with good friends has left me feeling lonely and has lowered my self-esteem,” Wilson said in an email.
She said despite occasional FaceTime calls, it’s still difficult to keep in contact with friends.
“I try to speak to my friends often but for the most part it’s too exhausting,” Wilson said.
Psychology lecturer Naleem Rattan said social isolation has negatively impacted student’s self-esteem which can make them feel lost, depressed, alone and anxious.
She said these feelings can even lead to self-destruction and harm.
“Students feel a lack of interpersonal connections and by maintaining this, it can lower their social skills,” Rattan said in an email.
According to the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased loneliness, stress, anxiety and depression among college students.
Students are especially prone to these mental health concerns compared to the general population.
“All the while, college students are experiencing these sudden and unexpected changes while physically separated from their familiar on-campus support systems,” the university’s Psychiatry Resources for COVID-19 webpage states.
Communications junior Steven Nguyen said while it's been a year full of hardship, he’s grateful for social media platforms that allow him to still connect with friends.
“I’m happy that regardless of our situation, I can still communicate through Zoom, FaceTime [and] Google Meet,” Nguyen said in a Zoom call. “Although it gets tiring, it has brought good change.”
He said the pandemic even allowed him to improve his communication skills through technology.
Nguyen said he’s still shared enjoyable moments with friends despite not being physically with them. He’s played video games through the online messaging platform Discord, hosted Zoom parties and even sent birthday gifts over the internet all to maintain his personal relationships.
Like Nguyen, software engineering freshmen Ananth Upadhya said while his loneliness increased, he's thankful for technology and its ability to foster connections.
He said he hasn't struggled much with keeping friendships during the pandemic and has even made new friends online.
“My friendships are still strong and the pandemic will not be a factor in losing them," Upadhya said.
Rattan said even if students don’t see the effects of a lack of socialization, it can still ultimately impact them. She said it may make them inept at developing appropriate social skills and understanding social cues.
“They may lose the value of social interaction which may result in trouble in communicating with each other,” Rattan said.
On a brighter side, she said students might have more time for self-reflection, meditating, grounding themselves, becoming more self-aware and finding inner balance.
Upadhya echoed this idea and said he’s made extra time for himself.
"This past year has been a way to explore oneself and grow,” Upadhya said in a Zoom call.
Nguyen agreed that the pandemic led him to dig deep spiritually, become more confident and especially learn to appreciate both time alone and time talking with others more.
Rattan encourages students to make an effort to develop healthy friendships, even if it’s through technology.
“Be more vocal in online classrooms, use the chat functionality on Zoom to reach out to others and express your opinions,” Rattan said.
She also said it’s also important to use this period of isolation to strengthen bonds with family members.
“We are all in this together and we shall overcome this,” Rattan said. “Think beyond yourselves."
Upadhya said he is looking forward to what's to come in the next year.
“Keep your hopes up whenever you feel lonely,” Upadhya said. “In some way, the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise to help tune in to your higher self.”
