THE BURDEN OF GEN-COVID

WITH SCHOOL AND SOCIAL LIVES HAVING MOVED ONLINE AND PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS DOWN TO ALMOST ZERO, INDIA’S CHILDREN ARE IN DISTRESS

- KAUSHIK DEKA

MAYANK PAWAR, 15

Class 10, Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj, Delhi

CAUSE OF STRESS BOREDOM

With his Class 10 Board exams and a subsequent vacation cancelled, the academic year for Mayank has been quite anti-climactic. The continuous confinement and the resulting boredom have been getting to him and he is desperate to break free. “It’s okay that we lost one year, but after the second surge, I’m not sure we will be getting back to our regular school life anytime soon,” he says.

SURVIVAL MANTRA STRUCTURING HIS DAYS & ENGAGING WITH FAMILY

“I play games, watch comedy shows and play with my younger brother,” says Mayank. While his mother, Kavita Pawar, a homemaker, ensures that both her sons follow a timetable, his father, Laxman Singh Pawar (a businessman) often cooks their favourite foods as a special treat. “We keep an eye on his digital footprint but try not to police him. We try to be his friend instead and have one-on-one conversations with him,” says Laxman.