ST. MARYS SECONDARY English Essay Mary Mbuzi and Patience Chilufya Mr. Kaula 9/23/2021 Utopia to Dystopia: effects of the Corona Virus Faster and faster, the numbers increased. Suddenly, the mass population of China was diminishing quicker than anyone could even imagine. The death rate escalated right before everyone’s eyes. The cause for such a drastic occurrence was a virus scientists later called Corona Virus or COVID-19. It spread faster than any other plague to taint the world, reaching every corner of the earth. The virus spread like wildfire leading to the World Organisations of Health to quickly put up preventive measures to protect the human race from total extinction. However, these measures put in place altered the way of comfortable life we took for granted. The dystopian world we often read about in pieces of fiction soon became a reality. Lock downs were enforced on everyone so as to reduce the spread of the virus. With everyone indoors, it became harder for people to interact with one another. Hence, everyone turned to social media as the only means of communication. This included schools, as online learning was initiated. Regrettably, not everybody had access to the facilities to be learning online which may have affected their academic performance. Schools unable to hold effective online seminars had to put the education of its pupils on hold. Smaller children could not start their first days of school because of COVID-19. With everyone practically on house arrest, individuals whose jobs could not be conducted online were at a great disadvantage. They were unable to attend work and it became significantly harder for youths to search for jobs. The entire ordeal pushed the panic button in a lot of people. No one really knew when all of this would be over. COVID-19 was an unforeseen unlike any other disease. With its sudden and quick onslaught, many lives were lost. Many people had lost close relatives and friends, taking a great toll on their mental health. It is never fun to lose a loved one forever. People who were struck with the virus, however, had watched their health deteriorate faster than they could ever imagine. Bed ridden and helpless, people with Corona Virus was put in strict self-quarantine facilities. It served as both a disadvantage and disadvantage. No one was allowed to freely move around; people in hospitals and community homes rarely had their loved ones visit them. The advantage though was that the spread of the virus was slowly minimising. In addition to these, another major effect of COVID-19 was hat people did not get the luxury of experiencing real life as it is. Many people were deprived of the chance to truly enjoy the finer things this world has to offer. For example, middle school graduates never had a true experience of in person high school life. As mediocre as these experiences may seem, they play a major role in the way someone may perceive life. If one used to travel a lot or was planning a trip to a foreign country, all of that was either postponed until further notice or cancelled all together. Among all these effects, all lead to one major one that affected people the most. Many people’s mental health was greatly at risk during these times in various ways. Whether it is depression, anxiety, stress or bipolar, all of our mental well beings were at risk. During these times, statistics have shown a rise in cyber bullying that occurred throughout this time. For many children and teens, social distancing during COVID-19 global pandemic means that the only contact they will have with their peers will be done virtually. According to L1ght, an organization that monitors online harassment and hate speech, there had been a 70% increase in cyber bullying in just a matter of months. They also found a 40% increase in toxicity on online gaming platforms and a 900% increase in hate speech on Twitter towards China and the Chinese. About half of the LGBTQ+ students experience online harassment; a rate higher than average. Kids, as surprising as it may sound, will engage themselves into cyber bullying because they are bored, lonely or want attention. Hence, because the pandemic exacerbates those issues these also lead to an increase in mean behavior online. On the recipient end to this online harassment, they could have suffered from depression and self-hate and it would have been harder to tell they are going through a hard time as they are at most times cooped up in their rooms. This was common in many people’s homes, and like clockwork, more and more people would indulge them in activities that did more harm than good. With many people at home sitting idle, the drug and alcohol usage had significantly increased as well. Creeping up on the world population, almost like a thief in the night, COVID-19 has brought with it catastrophic effects on everyone. Whether it is physically, mentally, socially or economically, we have all been affected one way or another.
