Charles Sosnik 
Do you remember how it felt to be a teenager? You yearned so much for independence as your hormones and emotions were careening throughout your body like a Bally pinball machine. You were so self-conscious, worrying about your clothes, your acne and what the other kids thought of you. And God forbid you should be seen in the presence of your parents or siblings.
Now multiply that feeling by 1000 and you may begin to know the way your students feel in the age of social media.
According to Carl E Pickhardt Ph.D. in a blog published on Psychology Today, adolescent embarrassment “can result in feelings of social exposure, self-consciousness, isolation, anxiety, humiliation, and even shame. Adolescents are very easy to embarrass because this is the age of in-between when one is no longer a child but not yet an adult and can be criticized on both fronts for either presuming to act too old or for not acting old enough. Sometimes it feels like one can’t win for losing as the young person stumbles their way to young adulthood through the trial and error process of growing up.
“The emotional impact of embarrassment can be intense,” wrote Pickhardt. “Because of humorous or critical attention paid to his apparent individuality or inadequacy, the adolescent can feel held up to question, like the eyes of the whole world are focused on him. Caught in the sudden headlights of public notice, he may wish for the moment that he could just disappear.”
One of the biggest obstacles to successfully educating our students during this trial and error period of virtual learning is the AWOL student. Too many of our students, particularly middle and high schoolers, are simply not showing up for our video conferenced classrooms and group ZOOM sessions. Even the kids who have devices and broadband are opting out of these virtual group activities. Want to know why? They are embarrassed. Embarrassed by their homes, embarrassed by their work areas, which is often by default their bedrooms. By showing the world their messy homes or sparse living arrangements, they believe they are opening themselves up to ridicule from their friends and frenemies.
To avoid isolation, it is important that we utilize ZOOM, Slack, Teams and other video conferencing tools to connect our learners to each other and to their teachers. So, what to do?
The answer may be very simple and inexpensive, and along the way give our camera-shy learners a feeling of confidence and a professional setting they can be proud of. We can buy our students a virtual office complete with work area, office chair and backdrop and have it shipped directly to their homes.
For example, here’s an IKEA shopping/ship-to-you list of items with links for a budget buy that includes curtain brackets that can hang from the ceiling and hold any sheet, blanket or actual curtains as a backdrop for students and create a small privacy space in almost any room.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/linnmon-adils-table-white-s29932181/ – $24.99 easily shipped desk (legs screw in)
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/snille-swivel-chair-white-s79046260/ – Student chair – $19.99
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/raecka-curtain-rod-combination-white-s59929243/ – Ceiling Curtain Bracket and Pole – ceiling or wall mount $6.99
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/syrlig-curtain-ring-with-clip-and-hook-white-40224098/ – $3.99
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/gatkamomill-shower-curtain-turquoise-white-10466201/ An opaque shower curtain is a good option and inexpensive at $9.99.
Total Budget: Desk – $24.99, Chair – $19.99, Curtain brackets – $6.99, Curtain clips – $3.99, Shower curtain backdrop (could use throw blanket or sheet) – $9.99
Subtotal before delivery: $65.95
Delivery (with an IKEA in the metro area) $20.00
Total (plus tax depending on State from IKEA) $85.95
The above links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by edCircuit of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual.
Further Reading
- Wired – The Reality of COVID-19 Is Hitting Teens Especially Hard
- Harvard Health Publishing – Keeping teens home and away from friends during COVID-19
- edCircuit – Connecting with Kids: Emotions in the Era of COVID-19
EdCircuit Staff