Since the pandemic in 2020, social interaction has been on the decline. You hear it from teachers, parents, and even peers at times. Chances are, you or someone you know has been told something along the lines of, “I don’t understand kids your age. Why is it so hard for you to talk to people?” For me, the answer is simple. In truth, it’s not that holding a conversation is difficult; it’s initiating it. When I’m with friends, conversations come naturally. But when I need to communicate with people I haven’t spoken to before, I worry about being judged. After seeing the perspectives on this topic from other teens my age, I’ve noticed it’s a lot more common than I realized. Whether it’s asking a question to a peer, giving a compliment, or even ordering food, the simplest task has become intimidating. It got me thinking…why do so many teens find it difficult to socialize with others? In the end, I kept circling back to when everything was remote. All the schoolwork, conversations, and traditionally in-person activities were performed behind a screen. Not only that, but hanging out with friends and meeting new people became even more difficult in the prime of it all. To cope with the change, many teenagers, myself included, reverted to texting and nonverbal communication. I found it so much easier to just send a message in a few seconds and wait for a response. In fact, I would text so often that I spent hours having conversations that I know would not have lasted as long in person. Yet, that was what people my age did when our lives were forced behind a screen. From iPads to phones to TVs, we were all on some sort of device. It became a routine.  

When it was announced that school would be in person again, I was ecstatic. The downside was that my friends and I all had separate classes. Originally, that did not seem like a problem. Yet, when I walked into my classroom, all the desks were separated, and I only knew one person…who sat on the opposite side of the room. 

We rarely had time to socialize. But when we could, it felt as though everyone already had their friend groups. With mine being in different classes, I thought I had no one to talk to. Finding the courage to converse with new classmates became harder when we were so far apart. Plus, when we did have time to socialize, those around me went to talk with their crowd. Besides the one girl I knew, I didn’t try to interact with other students. It wasn’t until a few people initiated conversation first that I started widening my social circle. Once we began talking, it was surprisingly easy to continue and add more to the topic. We quickly discovered our similarities and rambled like we had known each other for years. Fast forward to today, and those individuals are some of my closest friends. They helped me realize how much my fear of being judged interfered with my social life. 

From what I’ve observed since then, it seems hardly anyone tries to engage with people that aren’t in their “circle”. Participation in class is noticeably less, more individuals are glued to their phones, and the idea of being wrong about anything sounds daunting. As a result, many fear the thought of public speaking. Partially due to the idea of saying the wrong thing or being judged. These unnerving thoughts still prevent people from breaking out of their safety bubble daily. So, to firmly answer the title of this article; people have found comfort in expressing themselves online rather than in person. Thus, leading to more hesitation and uncertainty when it comes to being bold and breaking the silence.