By Charlie Roller / Full360 Correspondent

As the Covid-19 Pandemic slowly dwindles away in the back of people’s minds, the college experience many once knew is no longer. 

An incredible transformation has resulted in isolated undergraduate students, according to some Delaware Valley University professors and college students. As students struggle with socialization, attention span issues and mental health complications, campuses wrestle to find meaningful ways in which they can connect students again. 

When asked about a lasting impact on Gen Z’s attention span from the Covid 19 lockdown, Professor Elizabeth Carpenter from the Delaware Valley University English Department explains, “I think students are still struggling from the harsh mental health effects of Covid and being stuck indoors…In the classroom though, I am seeing a decrease in skills/mindset. Some students lost two years of writing, reading, etc. Students are having a hard time reading a simple four-page article. They look at it, and they’re overwhelmed. In part, it is because of their mindset they had in online schooling that is catching up.”

During the lockdown portion of the pandemic, colleges were forced to adopt remote learning through Zoom or Teams platforms, completely disrupting the traditional college experience with packed lecture halls and large social gatherings. So as students moved back onto campus, their new normal was confronted with yet another change. Dr. Jessica McCall, an English professor at Delaware Valley University, shared her thoughts on the lockdown and how participating in virtual learning was very detrimental.

“My perception is, students have learned to build community relationships online rather than in person,” she said. “Not all of course, but in general. And the result of this is an increase in loneliness, a sense of isolation, struggles to make friends in college environments, and a lack of coping skills which used to come from (IRL) friendships and communities.”

One of the main things impacted because of the Covid pandemic is the relationships between students and professors as well as classroom participation levels for the undergrads. But Zoom did not help with the participation either. 

When asked if virtual platforms influenced students’ participation or their interaction while online teaching, Dr. McCall said, “Oh yeah, there was no interaction over Zoom. Maybe with smaller groups, there would have been more. There were times where I had Zoom calls with about four to five people and they were super excited to talk, but you know once we crested twenty, it was just black screens and no interaction. And I don’t know if that necessarily meant people weren’t paying attention, but I understand. It’s hard to come off mute and jump into a conversation when there’s a delay, you feel like you’re interrupting the professor, and other things. It’s already difficult to convince an 18-year-old to speak up in front of a bunch of strangers and Zoom does not help that in my opinion.”

When students came back to the classrooms, one thing rang true the most: Zoom and being forced to learn via online platforms has ruined the attention spans of many learners. Short-form media has become the new form of consumption whether it be TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, etc. Students can’t watch “long” videos in class, even if the video is only ten minutes long.

Now universities and those who teach in them must make critical decisions concerning their ability to engage this “new generation” of learners.