For teens, conversations about mental health that were once considered "taboo" by generations before them are now at the forefront of chats in the cafeteria, hallways and on social media.
Even as COVID-19 cases downtick and teens have the ability to get vaccinated, life for students is dramatically different compared to just a few years ago. Homecoming dances are only now returning, movie theaters shuttered and live music was put on pause. Packing into student bleachers feels counterintuitive and even overwhelming for some cautious students (though it still happens).
A Mandarin High School senior said students are "more scared" during the pandemic than ever before because of an unprecedented amount of trauma experienced, including watching love ones get sick and even die around them at an alarming rate. The Times-Union is withholding students' names in this story for privacy. He added that young people are also "more open to talking about it" with each other and professionals.
Read the rest of the story at WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.