Although it has been 8 weeks of online school at Los Fresnos, most students are still getting used to this new way of learning. There are many pros and cons to online learning, of course, many that affect students and their mental health.

Pros:

1. Safe at home.

Students don’t have to worry about getting sick or maintaining social distance guidelines since they are learning at home. Parents too can feel more at ease with their child/children at home. Students can also feel more comfortable learning at home, as they may have a spot in their house that makes them feel safe and comfortable. Students can feel more at ease and maybe less stressed when they are in the comfort of their own home.

2. Students can easily access the internet for any questions they may have.

Some students are shy and/or may not want to speak in front of the class for a question they may have. Most students feel nervous talking in front of their fellow classmates and would feel more comfortable just searching up something that may help them. That may also help with being more independent.

3. No bullying.

During online classes, students don’t usually have a chance to chit chat with their classmates. So students don’t get bullied since there is no way the bully can say anything without getting caught.

Cons:

1. Students can get easily distracted.

Students may have their phones next to them and can be easily distracted by them. But it’s not always the phones, any pet may distract the student or even family members. Even their own computer. It is although the student’s responsibility to pay attention.

2. Students may feel isolated at times.

Many students have lost contact with friends over quarantine and some students can even feel alone with everything going on. It’s of course normal to feel that way, especially now, but this feeling may lead students to not wanting to do school work or just not feeling motivated enough to do anything.

3. Loss of time.

Some teachers let their students leave class early to do classwork independently but since students think they still have time to do the work they can do something else but in reality, they end up doing the work last minute.

Many students, especially teenagers, experience anxiety, or may even deal with depression. An article from The Science Times states “Several experts that have been pro reopening schools during the pandemic have pointed out the importance of in-person classes to the mental and physical health of students. However, a recent report revealed that some teenagers felt more connected and less anxious about school while they stayed at home during the lockdown.”