THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, MENTAL, AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN

Abstract

In March of 2020, Covid-19 had impacted over 55 million students from K-12 in the US with unplanned school closures and classes transitioning to online learning (Golberstein et al., 2020). Much is still unknown about Covid-19 and how it will impact both adults and children for years to come. This paper is focused on the importance of social development and mental health in children during a time of social distancing. Prior research suggests there are critical periods in development in which key experiences should be fulfilled for proper brain development. With social distancing and school being online, will children get the proper social development needed in these critical periods, and how may this impact their mental health? Covid has impacted almost every aspect of a child's life, resulting in disruptions to education, reduced social interactions, canceled physical activities, lack of daily structure, heightened screen times, and added stress. These disruptions and changes may lead to both short and long-term lasting effects on the developing brain. This theoretical thesis will explore these and related issues.