Members of the Class of 2021 celebrating Graduation and Prom in 2019, pre-pandemic. Everyone is hopeful events like these will look like this again soon

The year 2020 has been unlike any other year we have ever experienced. Between pandemics, unique presidential debates, rioting, mysterious murder hornets, West Coast wildfires, and protests, this year has been out of the realm of anticipation. COVID-19 has killed millions of people worldwide and altered human contact. It has transformed school systems, jobs, and regular lives, and although there have been ways to soften the blow of the whole pandemic, let's focus on the impact it has had on teenagers.

Generally speaking, one's teenage years are exciting and full of important milestones. Graduation, getting into college, prom, trips, and gatherings are some of the things teenagers might look forward to, so what is the effect on this age group when they are stuck lamenting so many lost milestones instead of experiencing them? The most recently graduated Class of 2020 consisted of multiple graduations over zoom, to this a high schooler said, "It feels like the light at the end of the tunnel was just snuffed out."

I believe it is easy to overlook this situation and merely categorize it as just another bump in the road; however, it is not just another bump in the road, it is affecting what we have always known to be true. A perfect example of this would be spending time with friends. Although this is something that parents don't always seem to understand, teenagers love spending time with their friends. Whether a sleepover, a fun drive with your favorite music, seeing each other in school, or perhaps just hanging out, it seems to appeal to almost every teenager out there. COVID-19 has interfered with this by forcing students to participate in online school, prohibiting groups of people to hangout, and even forcing people to avoid human contact, such as hugs, handshakes, or even sitting too close. Although this is a change that we all might have to get used to permanently, it doesn't help to just overlook it.

In the end, we are all in this situation together. To overlook an age group and how this pandemic is affecting them will not help us move forward together, it will only prohibit us from making the mental progress we want to make. Continuing to tackle this pandemic isn't an easy task at hand but to acknowledge the challenges and losses others are experiencing will be beneficial to all of us.