There is an entry in my journal (Sparks) from when I learned that the pandemic would last longer than we initially thought. At the time, aged 17, I described my feelings of fear about dying. “I don’t know if there’s any point in planning for the future anymore.” I then write that every time I don't receive a response from a loved one, I fear the worst. Looking back, this journal entry marks a pivotal moment in the development of my consciousness: the pandemic brought me face to face with my own mortality. What is perhaps most striking is how my perspectives and ideas about others in my generation have continued to evolve since those early days.
I now consider myself somewhat neutral on the subject of death. Every time I get in a car, I think, “Maybe this is the one that will finish me off.” » It used to scare me, but now I find it funny. On the contrary, this thought alleviates my anxiety. What changed? When did the same thoughts that kept me up at night turn into jokes?
Youth culture in the United States tells a story of different perceptions of mortality. Social media is full of jokes about death, memes about funny ways to dieand other comment stating that death would bring relief at work and school. I asked other people my age and the immediate response was that others felt the same way. This is what led me to join the practice of Dr. Lisa J. Hardy. the research team.
Since March 2020, we have been conducting in-depth exploratory interviews related to the sociocultural dimensions of COVID-19. From 2023, a youth-led initiative within the project has led to a new focus on impacts on young people and, in particular, on perceptions of death.
Through this research, we uncover some key ways in which young people's perceptions of mortality have changed: a sense of humor about death and capitalism, and seriousness and acceptance of mortality. In interviews we hear young people talking about the inevitable end of life. Jude (a pseudonym) reflected on the death of a grandparent, saying, “I mean, what do you expect (laughs). Anyway, I'm fine.” Humor and acceptance of mortality among young people may seem insensitive or a trivialization of the seriousness of death, even though our research reveals the exact opposite: that these responses may come from the incredible gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and may even be a consequence. a healthy response to the common trauma of our young people.
Participants speak of the urgency born of the feeling that the world was and will end. To some, it seems that the world itself is dying. One person describes this as an “age of apocalypse.” Many already experienced the stress of economic insecurity and other issues before 2020. The pandemic has intensified helplessness, intense grief, and the inability to think about anything other than the state of the world. Early in the pandemic, constant media coverage depicted stories of people being turned into numbers by the “indiscriminate killer,” which impacted how young people came of age. Young people, en masse, realized that their own mortality was real and possible.
How did they cope with this? Some young people talk about making peace with death and their own mortality, others turn to humor as a coping mechanism, and some end up cherishing relationships as well as the time they had to live. Although many have adopted a “neutral,” “that’s the way it is,” or even “hopeful” attitude toward death, this does not necessarily trivialize death – especially when it comes to the deaths of their loved ones. . Young people accept death as a fact of life, but they continue to cry.
Overcoming this collective trauma won't be easy, but the answer may not be to return to normal. Young people want others to know it. Sammy said of the “healthcare system” and how “individuals are treated” that they fear “nothing will change after this.” The young researchers on the project are certain that this is information that older people need to know.
Young people say COVID-19 “has changed the way (we) perceive health…viruses and even death.” It’s time to listen and change. However, research remains to be done. Right now, we are urging practicing health professionals to talk directly to young people about death and to listen to them.
I (Sparks) want young people to know that they are not alone, that we have all experienced collective trauma together, and for professionals to know that it may not just be a psychological phenomenon that requires advice, but rather a cultural phenomenon that should be taken into account. explored instead of being pathologized.
Fabienne Sparks is a student of anthropology. Lisa J. Hardy is a professor of anthropology and author.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the collaborating researchers at the Social Science Community Engagement Story Lab, including Carly Thompson-Campitor, Taylor Schweikert, and Christina Meeks.