Young people a year that changed everything

What was it like to be a teenager in the first year of a historical epidemic?

The New York Times, through its Learning Network, posed this question, with more than 5,500 answers.

With words and pictures, audio and video, they reported that, in many ways, it was a tragedy that defined a generation. The confinement inside - and the loss of the most important things common to American age - were lonely, disturbing, depressing and disturbing.

But many are also surprised. They tied up their siblings, found nature, got a little comfort at Zoom-school, played games, worked, cooked, wrote, sang, danced, painted and made videos. And, perhaps the most important thing in life time centered on discovering who you are, they regain their strength.

But even though so many are coping well, this generation will be changed forever. As one 16-year-old put it, “history is in full swing.”

This week, a year after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic, we shared their stories. For this special project, we have selected a few inputs to show what the youth are missing - and what they have gained. Below each image, you can find organized and summarized quotes from their artist statements that can tell you more about the work.

No matter how old you are, as you read you may ask yourself the question, and: How has this year challenged you and changed your generation?

1. A Generation Trapped In His Bedroom

“For some, it was a time for meditation. For many, it was a dark time for separation. For a generation, it was a shared feeling. ”- Parrish André, 18

Sunina Chen, 16 years old

As you read this, take five deep breaths.

Wasn't that great?

"Just breathe" was the mantra I told myself I was going through in simple things. Taking time to meditate, I realized why Saran Wrap was holding me back - I was the one who pulled it hard. Yes, it was put there by my responsibilities and the uncertainty of our world, but I was able to let go. I let go of everything that didn't serve me, took a deep breath.

Stevia Ndoe, 18

From childhood, I looked forward to my 18th birthday. I thought I would suddenly gain knowledge of the ages and have the power to change the world. Little did I realize how difficult my retirement year would be.

When the complaint about separation became a reality, my family and I clung to it. My mother, an important worker and single parent worked all day while my younger siblings and I went to school. In addition to trying to finish high school, I had to be the mother of a child who attended school and school. My 18th birthday came and went, and I was still like Stevia.

I look back over the past few months and see that this is the growth in global poverty that is seen in low-income families. Being in solitary confinement made me realize how much I had been robbed of my childhood and that I had become an “adult” for most of my life. My image has to wake up every day with the pressure of not knowing what life is going to throw at you, but you are walking in steps anyway. I took this picture one morning as my brothers and sisters were four feet away. The light was coming through the window very well, and it was one of the few quiet moments I have ever experienced since March.