After a mundane day of sitting at home, my own version of the movie “Groundhog Day” I opened the news, as I tend to do every morning. And when I saw the news, there were a lot of conflicting arguments. Lockdowns too strict, lockdowns not enough. This politician is horrible and this politician is great. Even with friends, I began to see the direct polarization that Covid-19 has on social groups.

The Covid-19 pandemic began abruptly in the March of 2020. Schools were shut down between March 12-13th all over the nation, with no set timeline of when reopening these buildings would occur. Mask mandates, shutdowns, and quarantines came into effect, and what was once an unknown became all too familiar. No one knew what we were up against. But by June of 2020, we knew that our battle was just beginning. We were all being impacted in the same way, we were all in this together. And while we were all being affected in different ways, one thing was for certain: Covid-19 changed the path of all of our lives.

And although we have all been impacted in some way, high schoolers have most arguably been among those who have been affected the most. For some, it meant their senior year was cut short, with graduation hung in limbo. For others, it meant the SAT was postponed for the time being. For freshmen, their first real year of high school was cut short. For some, in their second year of high school, just when they thought they had it figured out, their script was flipped, and they were no longer in high school, but learning in their bedrooms. The world turned upside down. For most, changes occurred that have been long lasting and have impacted how we do school, how we learn, and how we interact. But the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have not just been on the physical schooling and on the educational content students are receiving. The effects have also been on the social dynamics that are cultivated in high school; specifically, it has polarized high schools. Students and their social groups are inexplicably changed due to a tense environment and politically charged opinions, as well as Covid-19 opinions. The Covid-19 pandemic has not only changed educational and learning styles, but has polarized high schools and changed social dynamics.

Before going into the polarization of high schools, it’s important to first define what polarization is. According to Oxford Dictionary, polarization is “division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.” While this mainly applies to politics, it can also apply to the Covid-19 pandemic. For many, it means that we are divided not necessarily by space, but by opinions; 

We hate masks, or we love them. 

We hate vaccinations, or we love them. 

We hate mandates, or we love them. 

We hate our politicians, or we love them. 

Or we’re neutral over it all, we’re not extreme on one side or another. 

We’re divided into groups. And as the times have changed, many people have found it more socially acceptable to vocalize their opinions. It was once taboo to talk about politics and religion, but now society is more than comfortable enough to voice their opinions. For high school students, this is no different.

I will give it to our generation. We’re eager to gain knowledge and inform ourselves. We seek out information. Being a high school student myself, I find it easier to inform myself on what is happening in our world and advocate for what I believe in, due in part to the internet. The same goes for any other high school student. We know that by Googling and listening to those around us, we can inform ourselves and solidify our opinions. These opinions can divide us though. Whether political or not, we’re not always open to hearing the other side of the story. This in itself, due to Covid-19 and our opinions about the various topics surrounding it, can divide us and polarize us. 

Being in high school is difficult enough. You’re tasked with homework that feels daunting, maintaining social relationships and good grades, and being involved with extracurricular activities. You feel the pressure to succeed and do well, and still be active. Covid-19 has changed that. It physically divided us. We were faced with shutdowns, quarantines, Zoom meetings, and class sizes cut in half. Add onto that the idea of friendships and relationships changing due to beliefs. I’ve seen it with my friend groups. And unfortunately, I’m not the only person.

In an anonymous survey of 43 students, 90.7% (39 students) responded that they have had a change in their relationships, and 72.4% (31 students) stated they’ve had some kind of experience involving political or Covid-19 based beliefs.

Some said it negatively affected their families. One 18-year-old male senior stated, “We have had to avoid certain family members and their [households] because they don't wear masks or aren't vaccinated, which is a threat to our family.” A 15 -year-old female sophomore also responded, saying, “My parents would argue about it all the time and it's really hard for me to listen to.”

The majority of students say that it affected their social relationships in school, specifically with their friends. 

Of the 43 students that were surveyed, and of the 72.4% who said that they have had some kind of experience with political or Covid-19 based beliefs, 27 students said that their experiences were negative, and 23 students said that their experiences were on campus. The students were asked to share these experiences if they felt comfortable. 

One 15-year-old male sophomore answered, saying, “Due to the extreme politicization of the virus, me and my friends often have debates and arguments when in reality it's just a disease.” 

Another 15-year-old male sophomore spoke on the experience too, stating that, “[it’s] just people very much letting me know that they [don’t] agree with your/my opinion and making sure you know they think less of you because of it.”

One female sophomore also stated their experience, and that “because we still wear our masks a lot of the places we go and a lot of people at school or when we go out they [were] like ‘you don't need to wear those any more’ or that Covid-19 isn’t real and it kind [of] hurts because it is real and that I don't want to get judged for wearing a mask.”

Another sophomore commented on the situation, saying, “The different beliefs politically and any relating to covid have kind of split people up. If someone thought differently than them(from what I have noticed) they tend to keep that thought in the back of their mind which in a way distanced them from that person disregarding any other factor.”

Another senior student answered that, “There were several students and faculty who would try to start arguments over politics for no reason, simply because they wanted to.”

And finally, a 14-year-old female freshman spoke on her experiences, saying “Last year when we were back in person but wearing masks, many students were complaining and ranting that Covid wasn't real and that this was all political. I thought that people are entitled to their opinions but should state them in a more respectful way.”

And unfortunately, that’s become the norm for high school students. When I took a government class earlier in my schooling, my class had long discussions on the civility of politics. How in the past, politicians were civil and were respectful of each other and the opposing views. And now we see politicians dragging each other through the mud and finding any little flaw to tear the opposing side down. And that has bled into society and caused not just a rift in political views, but also in Covid-19 beliefs. Everyone has an opinion, and is entitled to an opinion, but lately, we tend to be very closed-minded and shut down other opinions and beliefs. We argue and we degrade those with beliefs separate from our own. And in high school, that is harder to deal with.

While dealing with differing opinions at any age is difficult, dealing with them in high school is especially challenging. You can’t really escape it. Literally. High school students are together all of the time. You’re in classes together, you have extracurricular activities together, you participate in events together. No high school student can really leave the situation, especially if you have a small high school. High school students lose friends and have found themselves in the murky waters of navigating high school without any solid ground and an ever changing cast of friends. 

We are all entitled to our own beliefs and opinions. But unfortunately, we all need to find a better way of addressing them. In a world where we’re separated in more ways than one, we need to connect and find ways to work around our differences, rather than divide ourselves more. We may never be able to come to a common ground, but we can at least express our opinions in a different way. With kindness, an open mind, and less hostility, we can express our different opinions and change the narrative. If we keep an open mind, and think before we respond, we can help create a more positive environment for which others can express their opinions. Not to mention, putting yourself in another person’s shoes. While I can’t say that anything goes at any time, I can safely say that putting yourself into another’s shoes might help you to understand where they’re coming from. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the importance of thinking before I speak, and trying to understand where someone is coming from. In a world of shame and disdain for opinions that we don’t align with, it’s so much easier to be civil, keep an open mind, and remember that everyone is entitled to an opinion. It may not agree with yours but that shouldn’t result in hostility. No one is inherently wrong for their beliefs. So we shouldn’t treat anyone as if they are, and we’re all guilty of this. In a world where the generations lead by example, the older generations must help lead our generation, so we can lead the generations after us. Teaching that we can be different and express different opinions, and can still coexist, despite our oppositions. 

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we’re likely to see more polarization and more differences arise. But knowing the effects this can and will have on everyone, but specifically high school students and their social groups, we should change the way we talk about our opinions. Covid-19 has already separated us enough. Let’s not make our opinions one more dividing factor.