By Matteo, 17, London, UK
Life isn’t the same, that’s for sure. We may be living under the same roof as we always have been, but the way we go about our lives today has dramatically changed in a flash because of the Coronavirus. We can’t socialise in real life, play sports, or even go outside more than once a day. Life has been paused for everyone, and that feeling is both frightening and peaceful.
There is no doubt in my mind that Gen-Z will be the most impacted by the pandemic. Dramatic changes like these are monumental for society, but more specifically, on us as we become adults. And whilst some days feel dire, I think many good things have come out of this crisis that will impact us in a positive way.
During this public health crisis, the global population has been forced to pause and to take stock of life and our society, whether we wanted to or not. For me, this pandemic has made me appreciate the society in which we live in a whole new way.
It’s been powerful to see people around the world to unite to applaud the heroic healthcare workers, who are risking their lives every day to save so many people. These are people who are often paid minimal salaries, and now are the people saving so many lives. This appreciation is perhaps one of the strongest sentiments from this time, which I hope will extend into my later life as I become an adult. Despite the deaths and economic hardship, people are finding positives from what on the surface, is a global crisis. We are seeing that no matter how much chaos is inflicted on our society, if you’re part of a community we find a way to battle through.
This is a great lesson for younger generations, including my generation, Gen Z; when the world changes so dramatically, which has indeed been proved to be true in 2020, we must appreciate and respect all members of our society and the role we all play in it. We must respect rules, such as staying indoors to inhibit the spread of Coronavirus, and we must appreciate the selflessness of the many people who are helping to make things better, no matter where they are from.
For me, this abrupt change in the way we go about our lives, has made me appreciate something which I previously had never appreciated before: The power of each member of society, including me, in working together to make a situation better. The great silver lining of 2020 has been time to times to think, reassess, appreciate and hopefully change for the better.