ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Since the invention of the worldwide web in 1989, people have never been so free to explore ideas and communicate with people from all over the world, but that globally connected mesh can wield an unruly amount of power to make individuals feel isolated and ostracized.
No one could know this better than Generation Z, a population which the non-partisan, Washington-based think-tank Pew Research Centre defines as being born after 1996.
Gen Z has never known a world without the internet, and, for better or worse, they were the first generation to grow up primarily online.
While this might put them on track to being the most educated generation to have ever existed, there are consequences, too. Rising rates of suicide, anxiety and depression, for instance, have been linked to an excess of social media use.
Now, with Newfoundland and Labrador back in Alert Level 5 following a cluster of new cases of COVID-19 linked to Mount Pearl Senior High, rumours of huge parties and teenagers acting irresponsibly have circulated on social media.
Hailey Lewis is a Grade 10 student at O’Donel High School, directly across the street from Mount Pearl Senior High.
In a 48-hour period, she was contacted three times by Eastern Health as a close contact of a positive case. Her test result was ultimately negative, but she is currently in self-isolation, as are all members of her close-friend group.
“When I was first called about being a close contact, I was terrified. I felt guilty. What if I had it? What if I spread it to other people? And then I found out that all of my friends were in the same boat and it kind of took some weight off my shoulders,” Hailey said.
She’s been concentrating mostly on school, but other than that, it’s been social media, she said.
“With everything that’s been going around about teenagers, I’m not sure that’s the best idea, but that is the harsh reality of today,” she said.
"...we didn’t blame the adults when they were downtown on George Street having parties with no masks on and drinking, so why should they get to blame us now?” — Hailey Lewis
It has been “one big gossip circle,” both online and off.
Hailey's mother was also bombarded with messages and calls about the situation, she said.
“As (teenagers), we know a lot more about what happens than the adults do in that regard,” she said. “It’s really disheartening when you see adults talking about this big, massive, blow-out party that somehow no teenagers got an invite to.”
As for gatherings, tournaments and eating at restaurants, she said teenagers have been doing that just like everyone else — under the COVID-19 guidelines set by Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.
“Put yourself in a teenager’s shoes. (We’re) 14, 15, 16, 17. Everyone makes mistakes and no one asked for this to happen,” Hailey said. “For the adults going around blaming the teenagers, we didn’t blame the adults when they were downtown on George Street having parties with no masks on and drinking, so why should they get to blame us now?”
Alika White is a Grade 12 student at Holy Spirit High School in Conception Bay South. Since the cluster was announced, she has deleted social media apps from her phone.
“It’s really irritating because you can’t tell them the truth because they just don’t believe any teenagers anymore,” Alika said. “It’s really overwhelming seeing all the posts — not necessarily for me, but I just don’t like having to look at all that negativity.”
Alika’s COVID-19 test came back negative, but while she waited, she was frightened. She says if she tested positive and had to deal with all the negative comments, she’d probably throw away her phone.
“I wouldn’t be able to put up with it,” she said. “Everyone is focusing more on (the rumours) rather than people’s well-being.”
Alika’s friend Abigail Mitchell is the student council president at Holy Spirit High School.
“It was definitely scary … because before it had never been a major concern in our demographic here,” Abigail said.
It was predictable, given the nature of social media, that negative comments would be directed toward their demographic, she said.
“I understand that it’s inevitable for people to speculate … (but) I fully believe attacking specific people or leaving (negative) comments on specific people’s pages, especially minors, is never the answer, and hopefully we can be a bit kinder to people in the future,” she said.
Hello young people, this one is for you! It’s been a scary and anxious time for you and your friends...and so many of you now in isolation...now is the time more than ever to reach out for support...take care of yourself and take care of each other! ❤️ #mentalhealthmatters pic.twitter.com/qtgESTS1z8
— Tina Neary (@neary_tina) February 15, 2021
