Social Anxiety in Children Born During the Pandemic

Introduction

Childhood is a dynamic period of development that sets mental, physical, and economic foundations for adulthood. It is a period of complex neurological changes in emotions, interactions, and risk processing influenced by peers with unexpected outcomes. In addition, staying at home following social distancing fabricates an environment that inhibits communication with other segments of society. A novel form of coronavirus- SARS- COV-2 caused the global pandemic. In many countries, it created a significant impact on children. Education for children was emphasized in almost all countries through online resources. All the countries incredibly stressed the importance of education during the pandemic. But when some children or families lack the services or resources, they experience physical and emotional disturbances during the pandemic. The children are at high risk of adverse outcomes because of societal and economic disruptions resulting from the pandemic. The pandemic has significantly impacted children's health, safety, and well-being. The brain overgrows during the initial stages of childhood. Socializing during this age is a significant component of life because a child learns how to interact with others.

What Are the Impacts of the Pandemic on Children and Adults?

The impacts of the pandemic include:

• The pandemic has already brought economic, psychological, and social influence worldwide, and the impact will persist for a few years, even after the end of the pandemic.

• The outbreak includes mental and emotional health disturbance, unemployment, social distancing, and the closing of schools and universities.

• The pandemic caused a heavy toll on older adults. This is because adults and older adults were classified as high-risk groups for the pandemic.

• The mental health of the older adult can influence the mental health of the kids in the house. The high-risk challenges differed for many people and included factors such as socio-demographic groups.

• The pandemic has hit older adults more complex than other ages. In addition, the conditions such as diabetes, respiratory illness, and cardiovascular disease increase the risk of COVID-19-related death.

• Loneliness and suffering cause adverse effects on a person’s mental health and well-being. The deterioration in a person's health creates a disturbance in the psychology of the growing child. Loneliness during the pandemic is a subjective and complex experience associated with anxiety and dissatisfaction that leads to losing connection with others.

• Social loneliness and isolation increase people’s risk of depression, anxiety, and mortality. Since the older population was more dependent on caregivers, domestic violence increased. Children with social anxiety have a feeling of persistent fear, embarrassment, rejection, and humiliation that make them avoid social interactions.

• Lack of social support due to social isolation led to social anxiety in children.

What Is the Significance of Social Interactions?

The significance of social interactions is:

• Spending a lot of quality time with peers and others makes the soul feel good. But, on the other hand, investing time in oneself can make one worry a lot.

• It is vital to take an effort and time to spend time with others. Social interaction aids the feeling of safety, security, and belonging.

• Interaction and sharing thoughts with others are critical if someone has not been exposed to the outer world for a long time.

• Social interactions are vital to good health. It is essential during the development of a child. They absorb a lot from parents and develop them as well.

• The confidence of the child depends upon social interactions. Therefore, establishing social interactions in front of the kids is essential because children learn many things in their growing phase.

What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Social anxiety disorder is a condition characterized by fear of being judged or watched by others in an environment. It is a social phobia that causes fear of objects or situations. It is a chronic mental health condition that affects daily work, school, relationships, etc. The affected individuals have a persistent fear of being judged by others. Everyday social interactions can construct significant self-consciousness, anxiety, and embarrassment because of fear.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety?

The signs and symptoms of social anxiety are:

• Embarrassing and humiliating situations.

• Intense fear of interaction.

• Intense fear of anxiety during social situations.

• Intense fear of interacting with strangers or unfamiliar people.

• Avoid speaking with people because of embarrassment.

• The expectation of the worst possible consequences from a negative experience during a social situation.

• The problem is interacting with unfamiliar people.

• Difficulty making eye contact.

• A problem in eating in front of others.

What Are the Skills That Children Learn by Socializing?

The skills that children learn by socializing are:

• Group work.

• Listening skills.

• Communication.

• Non-verbal skills.

• Expressing and sharing thoughts.

How Does Physical Distancing Cause Social Anxiety?

The connection between social distancing and anxiety is explained as follows:

• The childhood fear of infecting their family with the virus inhibits them from socializing. These experiences are associated with uncertainty and anxiety.

• It is associated with impairment of function in social and occupational domains and daily activities.

• The pandemic impacted the affected individuals' stress, emotions, and mental health. The lack of knowledge about geographical differences affects the mental health of individuals.

• The quarantine made children live under strict social distancing rules outside the home.

• This influenced psychological well-being and physical health. The pandemic negatively affects the family's socioeconomic status, including financial burden and unemployment. It led to difficult circumstances in the family where the child's defensive mechanism or coping ability was compromised.

• The children started to suffer from anxiety disorders, such as isolation and embarrassment, that had characteristics of general anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

• Though social distancing can prevent contagion, it can subject children to anxiety, fear, and stress.

• The circumstances can be challenging for some children because it may be their first time experiencing social interaction after the lockdown has lifted.

• Because they have familiarized themselves with an isolated environment staying at home and physically distancing themselves from others, it was difficult for the children to cope with the outside world.

• As children return to school, connecting physically and mentally with others has become a real challenge as they experience worry or discomfort for many reasons.

• This worry and distress are fueled by the fear of embarrassment or being judged by others.

• The children suffer from gaps in social skills.

What Is the Treatment for Social Anxiety in Children?

Some steps can be followed to help children socialize. Avoiding social interactions can make them feel lonely in the long term. With the help of parents and therapists, the children can gradually increase their exposure to the situations they fear. They can help overcome their fears. Parents can encourage their children to be brave and confident. Parents should explain the difference between social distancing and avoiding people to their children.

Conclusion

If the anxiety is diagnosed, it can be well treated. The specific impacts that have been developed can be corrected by providing them with proper guidance. Social disorders like hyperactivity disorder problems can persist due to continuous long-term limited activity. Persistent anxiety for an extended period can induce suicidal thoughts and behaviors. So early diagnosis and early intervention should be followed to avoid future problems.