2020 is the hardest year my generation has faced. What makes it so hard is the very many disturbing events that have occurred. As teens sit on their phones and scroll through Instagram, we see memes of all the events and what makes it so bad. Australia burning; the death of a great inspiration, Kobe Bryant; canceling of sports; many people getting sick and dying; and the lockdown have occurred and it’s not even May. Each event has tired every person in some way, especially the global pandemic that has developed in the past two months. Though we are struggling at home, many of us still found things to do to keep us occupied and distracted.

Hobbies are a huge thing right now. Especially the ones that are easily accessible at home. For instance, my mom and I have done many creative activities and watched many, many movies. These experiences definitely gave us more time to bond. Doing puzzles has been a great way to pass the time during this. I have done multiple 1,000 piece puzzles and even more 500 piece ones. I also made a wooden board project with my boyfriend that has our handprints on it. Those are a few hobbies getting me through all of this.

All this downtime is a great opportunity to spend time with family. Granted, it’s not that optional, it kind of forced teens to spend time with their familes. Though some don’t have the best relationship with their parents, I believe family time really helps teens mentally. It gives them time to relax and de-stress. No drama from school or friends and teachers. The time lets parents get to know what is really going on with their children. Family movie time, puzzles, house improvements, and exercise are big bonding things between me and my parents, as well as my friends and their parents.

The downtime with family isn’t always a de-stressor. For some it is causing a lot of stress. Talking with my friends I hear the same phrase from most: “My parents are driving me crazy.” In my household there have been many problems that have sprung up. I conclude that they are all related to the fact that we are all bored and looking for something to do and sometimes it is starting an argument. Another down fall to quarantine.

—Jessica

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