Memories of Catastrophe: the Long-Lasting Impact of COVID-19 on Children's Development and Social Dynamics

Abstract

This research paper examines the enduring effects of COVID-19 on children's lives and experiences five years after the pandemic. The study primarily focuses on social dynamics, particularly the impact on children's play, mental health, future prospects, child labor and school dropout rates. The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted children's development, education, and overall well-being, with the Global South bearing the brunt of these challenges. Lockdowns severely restricted social interactions and physical play, both of which are vital for intellectual and psychological growth. Consequently, children were left isolated, often confined to screens and digital devices. These disruptions, coupled with shifts in household dynamics and mounting parental stress, further compounded their mental health struggles.

Through a mixed-methods approach—combining qualitative insights from informal interviews with parents, children, and teachers and quantitative data from surveys—the paper highlights the tangible ways in which intellectual and social growth was disrupted. Anecdotes from participants vividly illustrate the challenges faced during this time, while survey findings provide a broader perspective on how the pandemic reshaped children's lives, learning environments and modes of interaction. The research suggests that while the immediate health crisis of COVID-19 may have passed, its social, cultural, and intellectual repercussions on children remain significant. In Pakistan, for instance, the pandemic intensified pre-existing educational challenges. Financial instability and limited access to online learning led to a surge in dropout rates. Families increasingly turned to government schools but many children struggled to adapt to these new settings. Learning loss and disengagement became widespread as children grappled with remote education and the transition back to physical classrooms.The study emphasizes how the pandemic exacerbated socio-economic disparities and left a lasting imprint on children's development. It calls for urgent, child-centered interventions to address these gaps, mitigate long-term effects, and foster environments that support holistic learning and development.