61 “Inject Yourself With Bleach”
Olivia Boyajan
During the onset of COVID-19, I was living in Los Angeles, California. At the time, I was fourteen years old, and in the ninth grade. The shift from a bustling and vibrant city to one that stood completely still was evident. Living in Los Angeles provided me with a unique perspective on how rapidly a populated city could change.
We entered lockdown on March 13th, 2020, initially expected to last only two weeks until spring break. California allowed for its reopening in April of 2021 by lifting many restrictions, however it wasn’t until June that California fully reopened. I had the option to return to school in January of 2022 after nearly two years of online learning, though many remained at home. During the period of state-mandated closure, school transitioned fully to Zoom with optional attendance and assignments until the end of ninth grade. The early days of the pandemic were notable by panic, with people looting stores and selling out of many essential items. On a city-wide scale, the urban area known for its notorious traffic became significantly quieter, with improved air quality due to less emissions.
During COVID, my greatest challenge was the isolation aspect. I shared the experience of loneliness with the world, and for me, it was difficult because I entered a codependent relationship where I felt coerced into cutting off my friends. As someone who is typically very social, this was a very drastic change that made lockdown even harder. However, one of the biggest blessings to come out of COVID was the quality time I got to spend with my parents. They are incredibly hardworking and dedicated to their jobs, meaning I didn’t see them as often during the week. While this was never a bad thing, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend every day with my parents for an extended period of time. My dad and I also share a love for travel, but since flying wasn’t an option, we took two RV trips. One trip was from Los Angeles to Arizona to Utah and back, and another to Yosemite and Mammoth. Being able to travel with my dad, see such beautiful landscapes, and experience national parks while they were nearly empty made the trips even more special. Despite the challenges of COVID, these moments of connection were something truly meaningful that came out of that time.
Virtual schooling for me was very lenient and remained that way until the end of my high school career. Although attendance was technically mandatory, it usually just meant having my camera off while staying in bed. There was little to no engagement from students or teachers in many of my classes, making it feel more like going through the motions rather than actually learning. Doing school from my room every day also blurred the line between work and home, everything happened in the same space, making it hard to fully engage with content during class or fully disconnect at the end of the day. Even after we returned to in-person learning, many of the leniencies from virtual school remained. For example, a rule was put in place that guaranteed a minimum grade of 50% on assignments, even if no work was turned in. This severely affected my ability to meet deadlines in the future, as I had a lack of recent practice with time management. Spending so much time on screens, whether for school, social media, or entertainment, made it harder to focus for extended periods. The structure of traditional schooling felt overwhelming after being in a relaxed virtual setting for so long. Ultimately, virtual schooling changed the way I learned, leaving lasting effects that I still notice today in school.
COVID led to several cultural changes, many of which I believe were shaped by the rapid rise of technology. As work and school transitioned to Zoom, screen time in daily life became even more prevalent, though it was already an issue amongst kids my age. For adults, the traditional 9-to-5 workday practically disappeared. I saw this firsthand with my parents, who would receive work calls and Slack messages outside of normal hours because it was assumed they were always near their computers. Beyond work and school, I believe there was a noticeable decline in mental health. As humans, we need social interaction and the ability to foster connections, and the isolation of lockdown took a toll on people’s well-being. However, despite the physical separation, I also noticed a rise in activism and social awareness. One of the most notable moments during COVID was the Black Lives Matter movement. Even though we were all isolated, I remember walking the streets with hundreds of masked people of different ages, races, and genders, all coming together to protest for social change. A final cultural shift I noticed was in religion. Many traditions had to adapt, and I saw this personally when I attended one of my best friend’s bat mitzvah over Zoom. A milestone she had been looking forward to for so long was suddenly happening over Zoom, something that would have been unimaginable before this time.
Scholars studying COVID-19 a hundred years from now should attempt to understand not just the pandemic itself, but the political divide that worsened during this time. The polarization of politics in America had been growing for years, but COVID highlighted it, particularly in the debates over mask mandates and vaccines. Rather than a focus on public health, there was an intensified focus on political identity. If the country continues on its current trajectory, future historians may see COVID as a crucial turning point in the unraveling of America. This may also be remembered by scholars as the time when a misguided suggestion to “inject yourself with bleach” showcases the disregard for science, leaving historians to wonder how this rhetoric from a political figure may have arisen.
Two themes that emerged during COVID-19 were stigma and blame, particularly towards Chinese individuals. Early into the pandemic, many people blamed China for the spread of the virus, ultimately leading to discrimination and violence. This false blame led to people calling COVID the “China virus,” which further fueled xenophobic narratives. As well, there was a strong stigma surrounding those who had COVID or who had previously been infected. Due to the lack of public information, people were often avoided after having COVID, as if they were still contagious. Many even refused to disclose their symptoms or positive test results out of fear of being judged. This combination of fear and misinformation created a situation where many people were unfairly blamed.
