Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Workshop for Bay Area high school students, a two-week intensive course at journalism. Students in this year’s virtual program report and photograph real stories under the guidance of professional journalists.
“I feel overwhelmed. It is really hard to focus on myself because what is happening is so big in history.”
Mackenzie Moek, a 16-year-old rising junior at Silver Creek High School, is not alone in feeling the weight of current issues. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement, Generation Z teenagers have grown up through a number of life-changing events.
“We were born after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we grew up in recession, we’re facing one now, we had to face college debt, school shootings, climate change, now the pandemic and the social unrest, and we have so many worries as teenagers,” said Randy Do, an 18-year-old 2020 graduate of Silver Creek. “We’re asking ourselves if it is worth it.”
Vicky Vo, a 16-year-old rising senior at Silver Creek, remembers hearing about the Mike Brown and 2014 Ferguson protests vividly as a child.
“I was in elementary school and I would read news on Tumblr and Twitter, although that may not be the best thing a child should have access to,” Vicky said.
Emily Zavala, a licensed clinical social worker who works at the Student Support Center at Silver Creek, emphasized the need for young adults to look after their mental health.
“Anxiety and depression are being diagnosed at higher rates than ever before in this generation,” she said. “I think it’s just essential that mental health is part of the conversation because so many kids are struggling with anxiety or depression or both.”
Zavala added that having to shelter in place has taken a further toll.
“Being isolated and being home with their family exacerbated mental health issues that were already present,” Zavala said.
Vicky has had an especially hard time as a self-described “full-hearted extrovert” diagnosed with depression and panic disorder.
“A lot of what I depend on is social interaction. It’s really hard to feel connected to people if they’re not in person with you and you don’t see them as constant reminders,” she said.
On top of the anxieties brought on by having to quarantine, Mackenzie said the Black Lives Matter protests across the country have led to uncomfortable confrontations with family.
“We were watching the protests on TV, and I told my sister I wanted to go and experience it, fight for what’s right,” she said. “When that turned into a whole argument, I became upset because I thought my sister would always be on the same side with me.”
But even with the stress brought on by the pandemic and the social unrest, Vicky believes teenagers have shown their abilities to become powerful.
“People sometimes underestimate how much communication and awareness is spread in our generation. Just look at the protests. So many of them are started by young teenagers,” she said. “It’s not that I just do it because one day I’ll be voting or I’ll make laws. We just all have a power to do something right now.”
Zavala commends and encourages young adults to continue social activism, but she also advises them to “disconnect from the media, and take some space to do things that are grounding.”
“It’s so important to have that off-time to replenish because you can only really be effective in your change if you’re rested,” she said.
Zavala recommends guided meditation practices on smartphone apps such as Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace to replace the fear of uncertainty with mindfulness of the present moment. She also highlighted the 741-741 crisis line students can text to get in touch with a counselor at any hour.
“This is an unprecedented time. This is not something that even the adults in your life have lived through. It’s a big deal,” she said. “So don’t underestimate the feelings you are walking through. Allow the space to have feelings, allow them to move through you.”
Students have listed various ways they spend time to take their minds off of disturbing news, including having lighter conversations with friends and family, playing games, drawing, doing cross stitch, watching Netflix, and journaling.
“It’s nice to know that there are still comforts within this chaos,” Randy said.
Jiwoo Kim is a rising senior at Silver Creek High School.