71% of Franklin High School students have felt 'Quarantine Nostalgia,' a longing for the time during COVID-19 lockdowns, often triggered by memories of the unique experiences and adaptations during that period.
Art by Karman Verdi
In two months, 2020 will be four months away, and the 8th graders who missed their middle school promotion due to COVID will be entering the year they graduate high school. While the start of our high school journey has been marked by challenge, a curious sense of “quarantine nostalgia” rises among many high school students in longing for the past quarantine days.
A poll by Wildcat Wire finds that 71% of students at Franklin have expressed relating to this sentiment of quarantine or lockdown nostalgia. Yet, if the COVID era was a time marked by undeniable loss, anxiety, and isolation, why does a part of so many of us miss it?
When the world came to a halt, many of us found ourselves with newfound free time. For many, this time was spent online. Thanks to this, the online world seemed to have a cultural renaissance. Apps such as TikTok saw a surge in users, along with trends vividly reminiscent of the lockdown era: whipped coffee (which was actually pretty good), the Renegade, and Timothee Chalamet edits being a few of them.
As activities became limited to the indoors, many found their fun in video games; Fortnite hit its “second prime” over the 2020 summer, as well as the dreaded ‘Among Us’ game, a little cringe now but provided peak entertainment at 1 AM on FaceTime with friends.
For those uninterested in video games, maybe certain Netflix shows help to ring a bell, such as ‘Tiger King,’ which premiered just 9 days after COVID was declared a pandemic, or the cultural sensation that was ‘Squid Game.’ Through these unexpected ways, human connection persevered, reminding us that our shared experiences could bring us closer together even in isolation.
Another word that comes to mind when thinking about the quarantine era is enlightening, thanks to the heavy reflection we—willingly or not—made.
While Zoom meetings quite literally reflected our faces onto our screens, lockdown helped many find appreciation in the little things. Simple activities, such as the family walks my mom would “gently” force us on, provided positivity and togetherness in a time when many aspects of our lives felt uncertain and distant.
Lockdown, however, brought a huge shift in the way students experienced education, one of the lesser-missed aspects. Online classes brought forward a unique blend of both challenges and advantages that we all navigated for the first time—one of the more evident challenges being the quality of education. With the lack of face-to-face communication and the absence of a physical classroom came a decline in educational motivation.
The effects of this still transferred onto our experience, even after the end of lockdown. I still remember joining Link Crew as a sophomore who had his freshman year completely online and having to give a campus tour for our orientation group. Knowing absolutely nothing about our campus at the time, I made sure to stay in the back and let my partner lead.
Despite its issues, online schooling had its silver linings. Zoom classes provided a convenience many students have come to miss, such as waking up a minute before class from the comfort of our pajamas. The ability to turn our cameras off meant the freedom to have a snack, or even a quick trip to the toilet, in the middle of class.
And so, as a senior looking back at my high school journey, it's clear that the quarantine era, with all its complexities, has left an unforgettable mark. Quarantine nostalgia does not negate the hardships that students endured.
The loss of traditional milestones like dances and promotion ceremonies, the strain of remote learning, and the isolation from friends and teachers have made their impact. Through the lens of nostalgia, however, these struggles are reframed as badges of honor—testaments to our ability to endure.
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