A recent study published in The Lancet — Child and Adolescent Health pointed out that reduced face-to-face contact during the pandemic could have lasting long-term consequences on adolescents. While lockdown-induced isolation has taken its toll on most age groups, adolescents may be disproportionately affected, the study said, keeping in mind the crucial role played by peer interaction in this phase of development. Dr Sapna Bangar, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at MPower, explains that children in this age group rely much more on their peers as an emotional support system than their parents. "At this age, it becomes important for children to relate to their friends. They are beginning to assert their independence and are forming their own identities. This is the age when they begin to step out of their parents' shadow for the first time." It is normal for children of this age to feel misunderstood by their parents. While under usual circumstances, they would vent to their friends who are also experiencing similar highs and lows, they are now deprived of these interactions with no outlet for their frustrations.

Dr Sapna Bangar