Click on the tabs below to read about the findings for the past 4 years.
How Do Teens Feel About Their School Relationships?
Teens’ sense of how well they communicate with friends, how much they trust friends,
and how alienated they are by friends hasn’t really changed.
We think being able to socialize online allowed them to stay connected with friends.
Teens rated their sense of school belonging as about 3 out of 5.
They had a higher sense of school belonging before COVID (based on their recollection), but it has stayed steady since the onset of COVID.
Our data showed that lower ratings of friend’s trust and friend’s communication, along with higher ratings of friend’s alienation are associated with more frequent exposure to hurtful teasing at school. Frequent exposure to hurtful teasing at school is associated with increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as reduced self-esteem and school connectedness.
Comfort with teasing at school is associated with lower ratings of friend’s trust, friend’s communication, self-esteem, and school connectedness, as well as associated with higher ratings of friend’s alienation.
Most teens expressed having a positive connection with their teachers.
In Their Own Words
Teens described how teacher relationships influence their attitudes towards school and overall wellbeing.
Well my teachers are great and quite supportive[.] [T]hey are usually really understanding and never give me a reason to worry about school work because they find ways to support me when I’m confused or not sure of the task that needs to be completed.– Grade 8 girl
I try to get chummy with my teachers only for a better mark. The more of a connection with them a get, the more I could learn from them and the more opportunities I would probably get.– Grade 10 boy
I feel like my teachers don’t like me nor understand me and that makes my learning experience horrible. – Grade 9 boy
If the teacher is fair and engaging, then I’m more inclined to listen to them. If the teacher is not good at explaining anything then I have a hard time listening because I know I’ll have to search up what I’m learning again later.– Grade 12 girl
If my teachers don’t yell at me I can learn[.] [I]f they’re mean or make backhanded comments I’ll be too focused on hating the energy in the room than the information.– Grade 10 non-binary
I feel like my teachers don’t like me nor understand me and that makes my learning experience horrible. – Grade 9 boy
I feel that having positive relationships with teachers makes one feel more comfortable being at school and more confident in learning.– Grade 12 girl
Good relationships with teachers will give me more confident to be a good student in their classes and finish all the assignments, whether they are hard or easy. – Grade 8 girl
In Their Own Words
To help overcome COVID-related learning disruptions, teens told us that schools can:
1. Provide extra review and virtual support
Having FIT time has been really helpful as I can go see my teachers for extra help without giving up a lunch. Having teachers post lessons on Teams as well as homework helps me keep track of everything. – Grade 12 girl
[Give] us more time to complete assignments and projects and reviewing the material covered last year and the years before.– Grade 9 non-binary
2. Increase Individual support
… student[s’] personal lives can sometimes be very troubled and reaching out or finding them help can impact us a lot.– Grade 11 girl
I wish teachers did more one-on-one time especially when having difficulty with questions or lessons.– Grade 10 girl
3. Be more patient with those struggling with mental health
… [Q]uite often things are happening in the background, things in our relationships, lives outside of school, or even mental health. [A]ll [of] those things interfere with our learning and when teachers get upset or reprimand you it makes us want to give up. – Grade 12 girl
… [I] would appreciate if my teachers were a little more patient and understanding that I talk little not because I don’t have a strong understanding on the subject, but because I am shy and not comfortable enough to speak in class just yet. – Grade 8 trans boy
4. Be more flexibile in the classroom
[I] feel like a penalty for an assignment being late doesn’t make a lot of sense to me because my mark in a class or an assignment should be about how good [I] am at the subject at hand and not getting things in on time…– Grade 11 boy
5. Help students avoid distractions in the classroom
… No teachers I have had will ever tell people talking to stop, that’s my main distraction/disruption when I’m trying to work making that a challenge.– Grade 11 girl
They could be more disciplined with us and not let us use our phones or get distracted from our work.– Grade 12 girl
How Important is Technology?
Almost half of teens identified technology as being important in maintaining their relationships during COVID.
Upon returning to school, only 13.9% of students in 2022 and 11.7% in 2023 acknowledged the importance of technology.
In Their Own Words
Personally, I’ve had mixed feelings about COVID-19 and its impact on our lives. It’s been challenging not being able to connect with others in person as much as before. However, I’ve been finding ways to stay connected virtually, like through video calls and messaging apps. It’s been nice to see how technology can help us stay connected even when we can’t be physically together.– Grade 10 girl
Since COVID-19, I have been using social media to connect with my friends. I think that using social media has made me and my friends more a part and distant because theres a screen between us, and you can’t show emotion unless you use some sort of emoji, which can be difficult to understand. Since the start of the year, I think it’s harder to connect with my friends because I don’t have any classes with them and whenever I open up to them about my problems it seems like they don’t care. We usually use social media to communicate though!– Grade 8 girl
How Problematic is Smartphone Use?
Teens spend a lot of time online, but…
Only a small percentage of teens fit the criteria for problematic smartphone use.
Most teens use technology in normative and adaptive ways.
Problematic smartphone use is defined as needing to use your smartphone in a compulsive way, such that it causes problems for you at school and in your home life.
How are Teens Feeling?
Every year in the survey, we asked teens how they were feeling.
Lots of teens felt depressed and anxious, but it hasn’t changed over the pandemic
Teens felt less lonely when they were back in school.
Technology helped teens stay in contact with their friends, but online communication cannot replace in-person experiences.
Are Teens Socially Connected?
Most teens felt connected to their friends during the pandemic.
Going back to school helped even more teens feel connected, but we are still concerned about the 12.5% in 2022 and 10% in 2023 of the ‘disconnected’ teens.
In Their Own Words
We asked teens to describe how connected they are with others.
I really feel like I have lost myself over this time. It is a constant struggle to get up and get things done because it really feels like I have no choice at this point. I feel very isolated as I genuinely have started struggling even more with sharing my feelings with others.– Disconnected Grade 11 girl in 2020
I’ve felt like I’ve made better connections this year because we’re back to full time school in person, and it makes me happier to be able to interact with my friends and teachers more. – Connected Grade 10 girl in 2021
[I] feel very connected with my close friends and [I]’m very glad [I] have them. [I] also feel very connected with the teachers [I] love and the people in the community [I] know well. [I] am not one to interact much with people [I] don’t know, so when [I]’m with the people [I] do know [I] love that [I] feel comfortable. [C]ovid has not affected my friendships very much[.] [M]e and my friends have gotten through pretty well.– Connected Grade 11 non-binary in 2022
I found that my social skills have greatly declined since the start of covid. I find myself feeling anxious having to talk to people and share my feelings and emotions with others. – Disconnected Grade 10 in 2022
[I] have become very used to the safety of being behind a screen while communicating with friends, both because of the fact no one can see my physical reactions and because I can have more time to process my words and actions. – Connected Grade 10 transboy in 2023
I feel disconnected from others, particularly my friends. Since the exposure to friend gatherings and parties has decreased, it is hard for me to switch gears back to this new post-covid condition. – Disconnected Grade 10 boy in 2023
Disconnected Teens
Our data showed that school connectedness, peer attachment, and being extraverted reduced the likelihood of a teen feeling disconnected. On the other hand, feelings of depression, anxiety, and fear of missing out increased the likelihood of someone feeling disconnected.
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