53 Growing Up in Lockdown
Haroon Atiq
I lived in Mississauga throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I was 15 years old and in the 10th grade when it began. In January 2020, I heard news reports about a new virus spreading in China. From my perspective, it remained a distant issue until my school announced that it would be shutting down and that classes would be moved online for 2 weeks after March break due to the government implementing a lockdown in response to the virus spreading globally. However, it later became clear that the lockdown would continue indefinitely as the virus remained out of control in Canada and throughout the world. All my non-scholastic activities, such as volunteering, going out with friends, etc., had to be halted. Instead, I had much more free time, which I mostly spent playing video games and learning new hobbies like baking. The full lockdown lasted until the summer of 2021, when vaccines were being administered. During this time, however, there were still strict regulations regarding travel, social distancing, public gatherings, wearing face masks, and showing proof of vaccination. I remember having to register in advance to pray at the mosque on Fridays so that they could prevent overcrowding. These restrictions gradually became more lenient over the next year. My school reopened in September 2021 when I began grade 12, but certain regulations, such as wearing masks, remained in effect for a few more months. Additionally, there was a lingering uncertainty about the possibility of another wave shutting everything down again. I also noticed changes in the way I interacted with others; for example, instead of shaking hands when greeting someone, it was more common to bump fists to minimize any risk of transmission.
The greatest challenge I faced during lockdown was having too much time with nothing to do, especially during the summer when I was off from school. As mentioned previously, most of my usual activities were shut down or restricted. Video games helped me avoid boredom and stay connected with my friends while we were all stuck at home. I also spent time exploring new hobbies. I taught myself 3D modelling, picture and video editing, and graphic design, and I often played board games with my family. Most notably, I learned to bake. During the summer, my mother and I decided to start a business where we would bake and decorate cupcakes, then sell them online and have the customer pick up the cupcake boxes from our doorstep. This business was one of the positive parts of Covid for me, and it lasted from the summer of 2020 until the summer of 2022, when the world reopened and our usual responsibilities returned.
Virtual schooling was a sudden shift, but I was able to adapt and continue learning effectively once I adjusted to the new format. However, the social aspect of school was greatly affected. Most extracurricular clubs and school events were cancelled, limiting opportunities for interaction outside of class and making it difficult to form new friendships. I grew close to the small circle of friends I messaged and played video games with regularly, but I had little interaction with peers outside that group. I noticed this was especially problematic for new students as they didn’t get many opportunities to introduce themselves. I remember one particular new student from my grade 11 virtual class whom I never interacted with online, but once we returned to in-person learning in grade 12, we finally had the chance to talk and eventually became friends. In the long term, virtual schooling has accelerated the adoption of online tools for learning, which continue to be helpful in my current undergraduate studies. For example, most of my courses now offer recorded lectures, allowing me to review material if I miss a lecture or to refer back to something said in class when studying for a test. However, virtual schooling also hindered my ability to gain extracurricular and volunteer experience during high school. Without these opportunities, I have had fewer experiences to draw from when applying for scholarships or jobs.
Like all plagues throughout history, the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with fear. Even though we now have a better scientific understanding of virus transmission than past societies, fear persisted because Covid was an invisible threat; it seemed like anyone could be vulnerable, and the sudden disruption of social systems created panic and confusion. The lack of visible symptoms also led to paranoia and uncertainty regarding who might be sick. When COVID-19 testing kits became available to the public, my brother would often insist that my parents and I take a test at any sign of coughing or a runny nose. The paranoia surrounding signs of illness made it so that coughing or sneezing, even if the individual was not sick, would cause everyone around to become uncomfortable. One example of this fear is how my family reacted when my grandfather got Covid. There was immense anxiety surrounding his diagnosis, especially given the higher fatality rate among seniors. I was unable to visit him in the hospital because of the contagious nature of the disease, but I remember talking to him on the phone. I could feel the fear of death that weighed on everyone in the family and the relief that followed when he recovered. Even as the pandemic wrapped up, there was still hesitation in returning to normal due to the fear of another wave erupting.
