The COVID-19 pandemic changed education systems across the world, pushing schools into remote learning. While the freedom to learn online, and the ability to keep learning despite the measures taken to combat COVID-19, has been a benefit, children have faced numerous challenges. Of these, student mental health was perhaps the worst affected. Following the shift to online learning, students have shown a range of emotional, psychological and social problems that have brought to light the various negative effects of online learning on their welfare.

1. Increased feelings of isolation and loneliness

Of remote learning’s many effects, one of the greatest has been the sense of isolation that so many students have developed. Besides the academics it teaches, a traditional in-person school offers the social interaction students need. Students have always relied on face-to-face contact with peers, teachers and school staff for their sense of community and belonging, and remote learning has drastically reduced these opportunities in many ways.

a. Lack of peer interaction

This has meant increased loneliness for students who could no longer join in impromptu conversations with classmates, take part in group activities or attend school events. Younger students may not understand why their social lives were suddenly turned upside down, while older students may miss out on critical developmental opportunities: making friends, extracurricular activities and planning for life after school.

b. Social isolation and mental health

Prolonged social isolation due to online classes can lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression. Humans are social animals by nature, and a continuous lack of interaction with others can eventually affect their mental health. For extroverted students, or those who rely on their peer networks for emotional validation and social involvement, this feeling of disconnection can be very strong.

2. Academic stress and burnout

While remote learning offers some conveniences, such as allowing students more flexible schedules and providing many opportunities to learn from home, it has also introduced new sources of academic stress. Many students reported a greater reliance on self-discipline and independent learning, and a growing volume of assignments and virtual responsibilities.

a. Increased workload

In trying to maintain a high academic standard, teachers may end up giving students more work in remote settings than they would in a conventional classroom. Students can then feel overwhelmed by assignments, projects and other virtual tasks, leading to high levels of stress and burnout. The blurred boundary between school time and personal time also makes it difficult for students to balance their academic responsibilities with leisure and relaxation.

b. Time management problems

Learning to manage their own time is a major feature of remote learning for many students. Without the structured school day to organise their time around, students can find it very difficult, leading to procrastination, missed deadlines and increasing anxiety. The absence of any structure only adds to the pressure of always having to do well academically.

c. Lack of motivation

Many students have also reported a lack of motivation during remote learning. The absence of in-person accountability, and the drudgery of sitting in front of a computer screen hour after hour, day after day, leaves them disengaged. This loss of motivation can fuel further frustration and so create a vicious cycle of poor academic performance and worsening mental health.

3. Increased screen time and its consequences

Remote learning requires students to spend a great deal of time in front of screens. Technology is an indispensable tool for virtual education, but excessive screen time can have harmful effects on physical and mental wellbeing.

a. Eye strain and physical health

Long hours sitting in front of a computer screen cause physical discomfort, eye strain, headaches and poor posture. For students who already spend their free time in front of screens, whether playing video games, using social media or watching streaming services, the extra screen time needed for classes makes these physical problems worse.

b. Mental fatigue and attention difficulties

Extended time on screens contributes to mental fatigue, which reduces students’ ability to focus and retain information. The mental effort required to follow virtual lessons and absorb information through a screen can be more exhausting than in-person learning. As students grow mentally tired, their ability to engage with the material drops, which leads to frustration and damages their self-esteem.

4. Disrupted routines and mental health

Routine is an important part of mental health, especially for children and teenagers. A daily routine provides structure that makes students feel safe, organised and ready to handle whatever responsibilities they may have. Remote learning has disrupted these routines in many ways, creating instability in students’ lives.

a. Loss of daily structure

With schools operating remotely, many students have lost the clear separation between school time and free time. When school can be attended from a bedroom or a kitchen, it becomes hard to draw a line between work and rest. Without clear scheduling, the routines that keep students healthy, including regular times for sleeping, eating and taking breaks, are easily compromised.

b. Sleep

Poor sleep habits follow when the usual routine is disrupted, just as they follow increased screen time. Many students said that during remote learning they went to bed later and slept less, in the name of flexibility. Lack of sleep is linked to anxiety disorders, higher rates of depression and impaired thinking. Academic performance suffers from lack of sleep too, adding to stress and burnout.

5. Family stress and the learning environment

The shift to distance learning placed an added burden on all families, but most of all on families with few resources, and on those where parents had to juggle the demands of work with looking after children. Many students’ home environments made focused learning very difficult because of distractions, lack of space or family friction.

a. Financial and emotional stress

The pandemic thoroughly shook economic and financial stability, bringing a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety into family life. Students in such families find it very hard to concentrate on studying when their family members are facing job losses, health problems or emotional stress.

b. Lack of adequate learning space

Not every student has a quiet, dedicated place to continue learning at home. A student living in a noisy or crowded environment cannot pay proper attention to lessons or complete assignments. Poor learning conditions add to frustration and feelings of helplessness, harming mental health further.