When I made the decision to take on two online classes this year, I wasn’t prepared for the stress and anxiety virtual learning would cause. While online learning allows people to complete assignments at a pace more suitable to oneself, it deprives students of the classroom experience.  

Humans are wired for community. Whether someone would consider themselves an introvert or extravert, it is beneficial to every aspect of human health to have some sort of social interlinkage. For many school-aged children, teenagers, and young adults, school is one of the only outlets of human interaction they are a part of five days of the week. Online classes snatch this opportunity of human connection from the hands of students, in turn, presenting them with a “classroom” through a screen that has proven to damage the mental health of children and adults alike.  

One of the most prominent examples of the damaging aspects of online classes comes from the Corona outbreak. When schools around the world were doomed to virtual learning, it took an obvious toll on students and their future learning skills. The technical term for this is “learning loss.” Learning loss refers to specific or general loss of knowledge, and any reversals in academic progress. Experts noted significant learning loss across the globe due to the worldwide introduction of online school during shutdown. As a result, students are still struggling to make up for their lost hours in the classroom. 

Online classes are no substitute for in-person learning. Virtual learning stunts the academic growth of students and takes a toll on their mental, physical, social, and occupational health. The benefits of live learning are endless, and the opportunity to partake in it shouldn’t be ripped from the grasp of educators.