Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Social Life and Sleep of Indian School Going Teenagers

PURPOSE: COVID-19 lockdown has brought a complete shutdown of physical interaction with school friends. There was a need to assess their social and sleep habits during lockdown. METHODS: A survey form was developed with the help of mentors, teachers and school children and circulated by snowball sampling method. 183 responses from Indian school children of age group between 12 and 17 years, from different states were received. RESULTS: It was found that there was a significant alteration of sleep habits in these school children during lockdown. Many school children reported that parents showed leniency in the phone habits of school children and their interaction with friends on social media remained higher during lockdown. Despite that, they were missing their friends and wanted to meet them in-person and they felt that not doing so, was causing a reduction in focus on academics and concentration and making them lose interest in general activities and even in hobbies. Sleep quality had reduced in Indian school going students during lockdown and decreased parental control on phones was observed. CONCLUSION: The deterioration in social life of the subjects needs to be addressed and taken care of by proper planning of social interaction with ensuring physical distancing and other precautions. Sleep habits should also be modified properly by spreading awareness by parents and school authorities. Such combined measures would lead to optimal performance of school going teenagers, which seems to have suffered in this lockdown.