CSUN On Point

Over the last decade, South Korean pop music — or “K-pop” — has gone mainstream around the world, especially here in the United States.

Experts and fans say K-pop music and its fans are starting to have an impact on American society — and even on Americans who have never heard a K-pop song.

BTS, for one, has a reputation for singing and rapping about injustices in South Korean society. Their lyrics address taboo topics such as mental health, the demanding education system, and other issues that affect young people.

Fans in the U.S. — even those who don’t speak Korean — have taken cues from their favorite K-pop stars, and are turning to activism themselves. 

Variety reported that last year, during the George Floyd protests, several K-pop artists donated to the Black Lives Matter fund — including BTS. Within a day, their fans had matched the donation. 

(Photo courtesy of Louise Järsberg)

“We were a part of a project called MatchAMillion, which was when BTS donated 1-million dollars for Black Lives Matter, the fans were like, ‘We should match this.’” said Louise Järsberg, an organizer for a charity called One in an ARMY. (The charity’s name references the moniker some BTS fans have adopted: “ARMY,” which standards for “Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth.”)

“Then two Twitter users came,” Järsberg added, “and said we should do a hashtag and someone said what about MatchAMillion? … So they reached out to us,” 

The BBC reported that ARMYs and other K-pop fans on social media flooded hashtags like #Alllivesmatter and #Bluelivesmatter last year with videos of their favorite idols — crowding out the voices of Black Lives Matter opponents.

The New York Times reported that K-pop fans even claimed credit for reserving the majority of the tickets to an indoor rally where former president Donald Trump was set to speak last summer. 

Academics and ardent supporters recently discussed the of K-pop — and BTS in particular — at a virtual conference hosted by California State University, Northridge.

Tiara Wilson, a USC grad student and a panelist at CSUN’s BTS Conference, said K-pop stars are taking their inspiration from a long track record of activism by American hip-hop artists. Wilson says BTS fans’ activism connects with American hip-hop culture’s history of amplifying community issues.

“We specifically in America should pay attention because I personally think it’s an outgrowth of the way that pop culture in America is used in general to mobilize individuals to take civic action,” Wilson stated.

Fans pack the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., for the kickoff of BTS’ world tour in 2019. (Image courtesy of Mehrin Ashraf)

Apart from the activism, K-pop’s rise to popularity in the U.S. and Europe has led to a cultural exchange between Korean artists and their fans. Many fans are starting to learn Korean to better understand their artists and artists spend a lot of time learning different languages to communicate with their fans as well.

“On one hand language is not a barrier because people have been transcending it for years,” said Crystal Anderson, a professor at George Mason University who studies K-pop music “But on the other hand, you see efforts on both sides to learn the language and in a lot of cases the culture of the other person.”

Even through the hardest times, BTS and other K-pop bands managed to put out new music. During the pandemic, while a lot of industries were affected by the sudden shutdown of most workspaces, K-pop groups adapted quickly to the given circumstances. The fan service didn’t stop.

K-pop groups held online concerts, produced reality show-style content and continued their practice of holding video calls with select fans.

(Photo courtesy of Louise Järsberg)

The messages in the music are also having an impact. Many of BTS’s lyrics deal with self-doubt, depression and healing. These lyrics inspired fans of the boy band to create a mental health help-line: the BTS Army Help Center.

Jasmine Torres, a volunteer at the BTS Army Help Center, said the band has helped its fans specifically through their lyrics.

“A lot of people forget about self-love,” Torres said. “They think about loving another person but they never realize how much self-love is important. And, the fact that a group, a boy band especially, telling women that, oh you should love yourself, is very important because you don’t hear that often.”

Jasmine Leung, a dancer and K-pop fan, says BTS lyrics deal with becoming comfortable in your own skin — and learning to not care about what others have to say about you.

“I think like their lyrics, no matter what age you are, no matter where you are, you can still relate to it,” Leung said. “There’s so many songs for the youth [about following] your dreams, you can do whatever you want. No matter what stage in life, their songs kind of hit almost every age group and it’s not always about loving other people. It’s just like self-growth too.”

This show was produced by the following team:

• I’Yonna Applon-Kettles
• Abtin Mohammadi
• Malik Patterson
• Cynthia Puga
• Jahaiara Quazi

The homelessness crisis in Los Angeles has grown worse since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The city has seen an increase of homeless encampments and camps around communities since the beginning of the pandemic.

In 2020, the number of homeless individuals in L.A. County increased by 13 percent from the year before.

And experts fear the crisis could get even worse. A recent report by the Economic Roundtable estimates that over the next four years homelessness will increase by 86 percent in Los Angeles County. 

According to the report, many businesses are shutting down leaving millions of people out of work and unable to make rent or afford housing which is very expensive in Los Angeles. 

Alejandra Olguin works as a housing navigator for Haven Hills, an organization that assists domestic violence survivors. Since many people have lost their jobs during the pandemic, her program assists people who are unable to pay rent make their payments. 

“Most individuals are homeless of course because the cost of living is so high,” Olguin says.

With the cost of living in Los Angeles continuing to increase, in order to reduce the amount of homelessness she says that “unless we find more affordable units and income based units, it’s just really hard.”

A Columbia University professor conducted an analysis predicting that homelessness across the United States could increase as much as 45% from the economic downfall caused by the pandemic. California is home to a quarter of the nation’s homelessess population, the L.A. Times reported

Homelessness has been an issue in Los Angeles for decades.  The crisis largely began following World War II when the population increased and housing development could not keep up. Since then, homelesses has risen in LA from high rents and a shortage of affordable housing. 

The city has attempted to fix the problem with more funding. In 2016 voters approved Proposition HHH which authorized city officials to construct up to $1.2 billion in supportive housing units for those experiencing homelessness. 

Since its passage, the city has commenced 44 homeless housing projects with HHH dollars. By the end of this year, 44 more HHH projects should have funding to begin.

Recently, a U.S. District Judge released an order in Los Angeles to provide shelter to every homeless person on Skid Row within 180 days. 

Governor Gavin Newsom launched Project Roomkey during the beginning of the pandemic in an effort to assist thousands of people experiencing homelesses by providing hotel rooms as temporary housing.

Despite the governor’s efforts to house homeless people, John Wheeler, who works in homeless outreach in Los Angeles, says that there are “not enough available resources to house everyone.”

He believes the key for homeless people to get into housing is to “have available resources.”

Wheeler says that putting homeless people in hotels is a good short term solution but that there also needs to be enough funding to help homeless people find permanent housing. 

Los Angeles county officials have cited budget restraints and limited funds to pay for hotels. County officials hope to extend Project Roomkey but there is no guarantee of continuing the project due to funding restraints.

This story was produced by the following team:

• Angela Gonzalez
• Kristyn Karmazyn
• Elizabeth Rios
• Daniela Torres
• Bryce Wayne

Discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has increased drastically over the course of the pandemic. 

A recent study from the  Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino found a 149-percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes between 2019 and 2020.

After a gunman killed eight people in Atlanta on March 16, most of whom were Asian women, President Joe Biden noted the increased racism towards Asian communities.

“They’ve been attacked, blamed, scapegoated and harassed; they’ve been verbally assaulted, physically assaulted, killed,” Biden said. 

While this mistreatment is making headlines now, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have long faced discrimination in the U.S.: The Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. During World War II, the federal government forced Japanese Americans to leave their property and belongings to live in concentration camps. 

And many people of Asian descent say discrimination based on their race is part of their day-to-day lives. Huy Nguyen, a student at California State University Long Beach, said he’s experienced discrimination ever since coming to the U.S. in 2012.

“When I first come to America,” recalled Nguyen, “I had the same thing… I lived in a dorm with four white guys. At first, they were very nice to me. They were talking friendly, but then after a couple days they were getting cold and didn’t talk to me anymore.” 

“There’s always been that history and precedent [of discrimination against Asian Americans],” said Teresa Williams Leon, a professor of Asian American Studies at California State University Northridge.

“But I think in the last year,” Williams León added, “with the coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China, the rhetoric by the previous president, I think all of those things, and people feeling frustrated… this perfect storm came together to kind of blame people of Asian descent.”

Tiffany Do — a community organizer for the Los Angeles-based advocacy group Chinatown Community for Equitable Development — said Asian Americans face repeating cycles of being scapegoated. 

“I think mass media for a large part has only jumped on now… A lot of our elders are just like, ‘This is nothing new,’” Do said. “We’ve been facing this even before the pandemic.”.

The reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate recently released a report on nearly 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents it tracked  between March  2020 and  February 2021.More than two-thirds of the reported incidents targeted  women.  Most of the incidents involved verbal harassment and “deliberate avoidance of Asian Americans”; 11% of the incidents involved physical assault.

Williams León connected much of this discrimination with former president Donald Trump, who often referred to the COVID-19 virus as the “China Flu” and the “kung flu.”

“It has been a part of America’s subconscious to have these kinds of prejudices always, sort of, underneath the surface of American society,” said Williams-Leon. “So when things like this happen and you have a president using inflammatory language, it all boils up to the surface. And that’s what we’re seeing.”

Do’s organization works on fighting gentrification and supporting businesses in L.A.’s Chinatown neighborhood. The area’s businesses have been hit hard during the pandemic, Do said.

“Number one, there was the beginning of the economic violence when people decided not to come to Chinatown,” Do said. “and that really hurt our businesses. They saw Chinatown as a pariah where the virus would be when actually we’ve been safe.”.

But even before the virus was discovered in the U.S., Do said visitors stopped coming to Chinatown  She criticized government officials for failing to help small businesses after forcing them to close down.

This isn’t the first time Asian community businesses have felt abandoned by authorities. In the 1992 L.A. riots, looters targeted many Asian-owned businesses. Do noted the Koreatown neighborhood was all but abandoned by police.

“We cannot trust the authorities or the people in power at all. They will continue to try and put more funding into police rather than actually keeping us safe.”

Even with the COVID-19 vaccine rolling out, businesses opening back up and people returning to work. Do said she thinks anti-Asian American discrimination will get worse before it gets better.

“Will there be an end? Absolutely not,” Do said. “I had a speech at a rally recently against anti-Asian violence, where I said it will get worse before it gets better. So, I don’t think we’re out of the worst part yet. There’s no way.”

The following team produced this show:

• Angela Gonzalez
• Kristyn Karmazyn
• Elizabeth Medina
• Daniela Torres
• Bryce Wayne

Maintaining communication has been a large focus during the pandemic by using social media platforms. With 3.96 billion users on social media, the concerns surrounding how social media affects mental health are accelerating.

One of the alarming effects of social media has on mental health is how it can shape a person’s self-esteem and body-image. A 2019 study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found a correlation between time spent on social media and the rise in eating disorders.

Brooke Gilbertsen, a psychologist and clinical director at 1Method, said social media’s pressure to capture perfect moments while excluding the lived experience can take a toll on a person’s self-esteem.

“The damage can be that you can look at somebody else’s social media and think they must have it perfect compared to my life. It’s not the whole picture,” said Gilbertsen. “The damage of comparison.”

This rings true for CSUN student Lexi Sorenson. For a few years, she said she often compared her life to the images she would see on social media. Sorenson said she’s battled depression.

“I used to be a hefty girl growing up and I was constantly made fun of,” said Sorenson. “So of course, seeing millions of girls with perfect bodies getting millions of likes on their photos really hurt.” 

Even some social media influencers feel the pressure to look or live in an idealized way.

Journalist and influencer Janelle Marie Rodriguez — who has more than 108,000 followers on Instagram, where she goes by the name Janelle Marie — said the pressure to promote a certain image has caused her to doubt her own identity and the purpose of her brand.

“So, then you start to devalue and question yourself,” Rodriguez said.

As knowledge of the risks grows, some users have tried to leverage social media to bring awareness to mental health issues and advocating for body positivity, according to Common Sense Media.

Rodriguez said she makes an effort to post content that displays a less-idealized image to her followers. 

“With my journey on social media,” she said, “I decided that I wanted my platform to not only be a highlight reel, but at least dedicate one day of the week to make people who come across my page feel good.”

Gilbertsen also recommends users monitor the amount of time they spend on social media.

“Whenever your behavior becomes obsessive and your behavior becomes compulsive that’s probably an indicator that you really are a slave to your phone,” said Gilbertsen. “Realize you are in control.”

This show was produced by the following team:

• Emily Brubaker
• Katherine Hernandez
• Mary Paronyan
• Dailyn Simmons
• Diane Zermeño

When the coronavirus pandemic hit about a year ago, many of our personal lives moved online. 

In one Harris poll, roughly half of U.S. adults reported using social media more after the pandemic began.

But some flocked to social media for more than entertainment or personal connection. With stay-at-home orders forcing shops to close, and triggering widespread job losses, some turned to social media as content creators, hoping to find ways to make ends meet and build their businesses during the lockdowns.

Recent Cal State Northridge graduate Gabriela Linares took the first stay at home order as an opportunity to work full time on her business selling candles, crystals and other holistic self-care products. At first, she thought the pandemic would force her to shut down her Instagram shop, called Sobre la Luna.

But during the lockdown, “I’m doing better than I ever was going to farmers markets or other events to sell in person,” Linares said.

She’s now making roughly $3,000 to $4,000 per month.

Joe Gagliese, CEO of Viral Nation, a marketing agency that represents influencers, said the pandemic has been a huge opportunity for businesses of all sizes to grow their online presence.

The pandemic is “slowing people down to take a look at small businesses,” Gagliese said. “Large brands and big influencers have benefitted from this, it was like shaking off the old school.”

Like Linares, Jayde Stamm, owner of CBJ Studios and current CSUN undergrad, assumed his cake business would suffer. The influx of new orders has slowed down, but Stamm has continued to create content, apparel and other goods that are growing his brand.  

Stamm went as far as saying that his business depends entirely on his social media presence.

Just as their businesses and social media presence grew during the pandemic apps like YouTube experienced a 63.7% increase in usage and Facebook 62%, according to Statista.

According to Business of Apps, TikTok saw its number of U.S. users grow 85.3% during 2020.

Linares recently created a TikTok account for Sobre la Luna. She’s also active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for her business.

Stamm is active on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and OnlyFans for CBJ Studios.

Influencers often try to have a presence on multiple platforms.

Stamm started on Facebook but moved mostly to Instagram very naturally as the platform gained popularity.

“For cake services, Facebook will generate the most money,” Stamm said. “The selling platform is much easier and more familiar than Instagram. With Instagram I can sell more of our merchandise, products and cookies.”

Both Stamm and Linares emphasized they put a lot of time into creating posts that will attract people to each of their platforms.

Gagliese said the work ethic required to brand yourself or a small business is often overlooked. 

Gagliese said the amount of time and effort necessary to build a following on social media is often overlooked: “The amount of time you have to learn how to edit. The amount of time you have to learn what’s trending. The amount of effort you have to put into content, ideating and all those things…”

“It’s really a battle of consistency and brawn,” he continued. “At the beginning you’re creating this content for no one. There’s a lot more to it intrinsically then financially and I don’t think people give (influencers) enough credit.”

It’s not clear whether the new audiences that flocked to social media will remain as engaged in a post-pandemic world. But even for businesses or influencers looking to make their mark in person, social media will likely remain a tool they must learn to use effectively.

Gagliese saw the pandemic as an inevitable push towards social media, and even shared “hacks” — tips and tricks — that he said bigger companies have yet to discover.

“I don’t know if you guys know this,” Gagliese said, turning to Stamm and Linares, “but on social media there are content aggregator pages… For instance Jadye there are cake instagram pages that have 2 million followers. And they’re the TV of our generation, and are surprisingly low cost to activate: you can pay them a couple hundred dollars to post your content.” 

In the case of Sobre la Luna and CBJ Studios social media has been able to provide their creators a steady source of income and consumers interactive posts, giveaways, ambassador opportunities and products that might have otherwise been hard to find during a pandemic. 

Gagliese believes the pandemic only sped up the process of pushing everyday life online and increasing the reliance on technology. 

“When people were sitting at home,” he said, “running out of things to do on social media, they started to discover the Jaydes and Gabrielas of the world… (The pandemic was) an enormous opportunity, and continuing to go down that path is a good one.”

This show was produced by the following team:

• Beatrice Anoh
• Elizabeth Campos
• Justin Gonzalez
• Ava Lange
• Alfonso Henry
• Jordan Henry

Higher education institutions have been conducting classes virtually for almost a year, but with COVID-19 vaccinations now being distributed, how close are colleges and universities to resuming in-person instruction?

Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders have already reached a deal aimed at encouraging K-12 schools to reopen this school year. The CDC has also released information that advises schools on how to prepare for reopening.

At the college level, California State University  Chancellor Joseph Castro stated that the system’s campuses are planning to return by fall of this year. He says each campus will have an individualized reopening plan.

Like a number of other schools, Cal State Northridge officials will not require students or faculty to get vaccinated. 

Maurice Walker, a student at College of the Canyons who is immunocompromised, says he does not feel ready to return to campus. He would want to wait at least another six months.

“It will be a while before I feel comfortable being on campus, but I can’t let my paranoia get the best of me,” Walker said.

CSUN nursing student Samuel Sherry says it is natural for people to be concerned about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, considering that it was created so quickly.

“I am hopeful, for the most part,  that over time people will realize that [the vaccine] is for the best,” Sherry said. “The side effects are minimal. Everybody needs to do their part and get vaccinated if they can, and when they can to get to that level of herd immunity.”

Matthew Cahn, CSUN Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, says university officials aim to have at least 30 to 50 percent of classes back on campus. Most of these classes will be hybrid, meaning that they will meet both on campus and virtually.

“The idea is to get as many students as possible to have the opportunity to have some kind of campus experience in Fall ‘21,” Cahn said.

If in-person instruction does resume, staff and students are not required to return if they feel their safety is at risk. 

“We are not creating any expectations that students must be on campus.” Cahn said. “We hope that those who want to [return] will have the opportunity to do so.”

CSUN marketing professor Mariam Beruchashvili said she believes  students and staff should be vaccinated before campus operations fully return to normal, but she understands that there are a lot of people who want to wait some time before receiving the vaccine. 

“It’s a very complex issue with multiple layers, and it will be a challenge.” Beruchashvili said. “I don’t think that many people will volunteer to be vaccinated and that means that we might not be able to go back to full capacity.”

“A place like a college university is probably not one of the safest places to reopen,” added Sherry, “just because it has so many individuals in it.”

The pandemic has also taken a toll on the social lives of many students, so a return to campus could help bring back that missing interaction.

“Even with the six foot rule, I think we’ll have an inclination for [social life] to flourish.” Walker said. “We’re deprived of true intimate communication and interaction. We desire it.”

Students and staff that decide to return to campus must follow all safety protocols, such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance from others.

This story was reported by the following team:

• Angela Gonzalez
• Kristyn Karmazyn
• Elizabeth Medina
• Daniela Torres
• Bryce Wayne

CORRECTION (Tues., March 2): Due to an editing error, an earlier video version of this show included an on-screen graphic in which guest Samuel Sherry’s name was misspelled. We’ve since corrected the video. CSUN On Point regrets the error.

Many people don’t have a meal on Thanksgiving or throughout the holidays — but with the pandemic leaving millions of families unemployed, they also can no longer afford and provide the nutritious meals that children and adults need every day.

Before we went into a nationwide pandemic, 35 million people struggled with adequate food supply in their households.

But this year, that number may increase to 50 million people, says Feeding America, a national network of food banks. 

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is acting as quickly as they can in helping provide meals to families all over the country, says Roger Castle, a development officer with the food bank.

“A lot of it is increasing the amount of food to our partner agencies — which are 700 other non-profit and religious organizations that get food from the food bank,” said Castle. “Mainly through these emergency distributions where we do large drive-throughs in big parking lots, where cars can pull up and we load food, with masks and gloves into their car — and its 80 pounds of food.”

Castle said the L.A. Regional Food Bank sees firsthand how much the pandemic has caused an increase in food insecurity.

“We have seen in our emergency distribution lines people that have said that I’ve worked for thirty years and I’ve never needed food assistance before,” said Castle.  “Our food distribution is up 145 percent and we are now feeding 900,000 people each month either directly or through our agency partners.”

In 2019, according to Feeding America, one out of every 10 American families were ​food insecure, which means they didn’t have access to a variety of healthy, quality foods.​

And in 4.1% of households, Americans went hungry at least twice this year.  

Many are affected by food insecurity — but children are the most vulnerable.

“Currently, one in four children [is] experiencing food insecurity,” said Nellie Duran, Assistant Professor of Family and Consumer Sciences at CSUN. “Even when you control for poverty, when a child experiences food insecurity, there is an impact in their academic performance.”

The L.A. Regional Food Bank tries to close the gap between children and food insecurity.

“We have a child’s breakfast program, we also have an after school meal and summer lunch program. Other places run those programs, but we fill in the gaps where we see that those kids in a certain area are not getting enough food,” said Castle. “If someone’s not getting their meals on the weekend we send them home on Friday afternoon out of school with enough food for meals for the entire weekend so they don’t have to go hungry all weekend home.”

Although the nationwide pandemic has contributed to the increased number of people that are food insecure, the problem has been going on even prior to the pandemic.

Duran believes U.S. leaders must acknowledge that world hunger is a bigger issue.

“As long as our policies continue to ignore the right to food,” she said, “we are always going to have food banks, food pantries, food drives.”

This story was reported by the following team:

• Muhammed Asad, producer
• Chloe Hooper, anchor
• Alexia Mersola, producer
• Desiree Leon Rosales, producer
• Gina Wong, moderator

Experts say climate change has been a key factor behind wildfires that broke records across the world in 2020.

Climate change has increased California’s risk for wildfires, producing warmer, drier conditions, causing more frequent  droughts and prolonging the state’s fire season..

This year’s Bobcat Fire was also one of the largest wildfires in L.A. County’s history, burning over 100,000 acres of land in the Angeles National Forest. 

L.A. County also set a new temperature record of 121 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“We have to be able to curtail the greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jonathan Parfrey, the executive director of Climate Resolve, an organization that connects communities, organizations and policymakers to address a global problem with local action. “But at the same time we have to learn how to adapt.”

Wildfires have  threatened biodiversity and  put species in danger of extinction. The fires have also increased greenhouse gases, contributing to the severity of climate change itself. 

“The climate crisis is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced,” said Professor David Klein, director of CSUN’s Climate Science Program. “Biologists tell us that we’re in the middle of the sixth mass extinction, the last one occurred 65 million years ago and wiped out the dinosaurs.” 

According to CNN, utilities cut power to thousands of Southern California homes amid high wildfire danger on Thanksgiving Day. 

“In order to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius,” Klein said, “we have to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions 45% by the year 2030 and bring it down to zero net emissions by mid century by 2050.” 

Some regions of California recently reintroduced control burns as a method of wildfire prevention.

Controlled burns are any type of fires that intentionally set off to meet specific land management objectives such as reducing flammable fuels, restoring ecosystem health, recycling nutrients or preparing an area for new trees or vegetation. 

Marti Witter, a fire ecologist for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, said controlled burns are very effective, especially if officials use controlled burns in enough areas over a long period of time.

“One great example is Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park where they’ve been doing prescribed burning for decades now,” said Witter.

In California, wildfires ravaged about 4 million acres this year, making 2020 one of the worst fire seasons in the state’s history.

But California isn’t alone.

According to the BBC, wildfires have burned more than 13,000 square kilometers of the world’s largest tropical rainforest in Brazil.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature reported that this year’s fire season was the worst in Australia.

Chris Dicus, who leads the Association for Fire Ecology, said there are many ways to manage wildfires in California. He says the use of prescribed fire is incredibly effective in many ecosystems across California but not in certain places.

“We use our entire tool belt to go into and manage the forest,” Dicus said, “because there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing our wildlands.”

This show was reported by the following team:

• Sammy Fernandes, moderator
• Samuel Novicki, producer
• Brenda Saldana, producer
• Jessica Vaughan, anchor
• Serim Yeo, producer

Public school students in at least 40 schools of California’s 58 counties have been able to return to their classrooms for in-person instruction since the pandemic began.

However, those who remain online have faced several challenges. Some students have had limited access to devices, internet, meals. They’ve also faced Zoom fatigue caused by having to sit in front of a computer screen for several hours each day.

Juana Maria Valdivia, board president for a charter school network called PUC Schools, says the biggest challenge has been providing students with the technology needed to continue their education, and figuring out how to further support students with special needs.

“We’ve learned a lot of new things with this pandemic and I think it has brought us to where we are today,” Valdivia said. “As we started the first semester to be a little more structured and also the opportunity to provide more support to our students and engage more with the families through virtual meetings.”

PUC’ schools have been able to provide technology for their students, and have worked to provide more one-on-one interaction for students with special needs. 

Valdivia said it’s crucial to understand that the pandemic is taking a toll on our mental health. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more children are going to the emergency room with mental health-related problems. The CDC said the proportion of emergency room visits by 12- to 17-year olds that involve mental health challenges increased 31% in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Lawrence King, superintendent of the Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District, appreciates the work that administrators, teachers and classified school staff have done to create meaningful and engaging instructional methods for students and families. 

The transition hasn’t been easy, King said, but “with continued training for teachers they have stepped up to learn all sorts of software.”. 

In order to receive instruction, students need access to the internet through devices, hotspots and wi-fi.. 

A report published by the Economic Policy Institute concluded “the pandemic has exacerbated well-documented opportunity gaps that have put low-income students at a disadvantage relative to their better-off peers.”

“Those inequities start with technology,” Valdivia said. “We just learned that some families have three or four children and there’s one piece of technology and it had to be shared at some point.”

Students, teachers, administrators and educational leaders aren’t the only ones struggling with online learning. The move to distance learning has put parents in a tough position. 

“I have a whole different level of respect for teachers,” said Porscha Chambers, a parent and college student, “because having to do the whole one-on-one with your child is like, ‘Wow!’ If parents have multiple children and they have to do this with each of them it’s a lot of work.”.

Keeping students engaged is a difficult task, especially for high school students as Zoom fatigue creeps in quickly. 

By incorporating mindfulness into Friday lectures, PUC schools are finding ways to be more student centered and connect with them at a deeper level. 

Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District officials are relying on county health department guidance.

“We want to open up in a way that ensures safety for again not just students but also parents and visitors,” King said. “We’ve worked very closely with our teachers association, our California School Employees Association, our parents group to make sure that we are opening in a safe manner and again within the guidelines that have been implemented by the County of Department of Public Health. “

This story was produced by the following:

• Amanda Alvarado, moderator
• Savanna Birchfield, anchor 
• Casey Contreras, reporter
• Kimberly Linares, reporter 
• Sophia Lesseos, reporter

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people into isolation, raising concerns of a widespread downturn in mental health as many attempt to cope with challenges like anxiety and depression alone.

In a poll released by Kaiser Family Foundation, 47% of respondents reported intense levels of stress and anxiety while stuck at home. The poll also showed older adults and adolescents are more prone to extreme effects of isolation. Some people are trying natural solutions to manage the intense stress and anxiety that can come from long periods of being alone. Cannabis products like indacloud jedi breath may help people deal with the symptoms of mental health conditions.

Since the pandemic, The Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network has seen a similar increase in people experiencing depression, anxiety, and isolation.

“On the flip side,” said the network’s co-chair, Tracie Andrews, “we have seen an increase in people reaching out for help, wanting to get more services, and wanting to have more conversations about why they are feeling the way they are feeling.”

Another Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows 54% percent of those losing income and jobs have suffered more mental stress.

For men the effect is even more profound, says Mark Stevens, professor of educational psychology and counseling at CSUN. Statistics have shown that men have higher suicide numbers than women.

“Men’s sense of identity and self-esteem is often related to productivity,” Stevens said, “ and so during this time, the measuring of productivity has to really change and men really have to figure out how they could feel productive during this time if their work has changed, or their out of work.”

For many, the root of their current mental health struggle is in not being able to socialize and interact with others. Many students miss walking to class and seeing their friends at school that meant a good time.

The transition to online classes has also impacted many students and faculty physically and mentally. Students at home find it hard to concentrate and stay motivated.

“I didn’t have that commuting to class or being able to walk to my classes,” said CSUN sophomore Angel Corros, “and being able to talk to my friends between my breaks; It was just structured to being at home.”

At CSUN, University Counseling Services is holding Wellness Workshops Workshops to help students gain helpful tools to manage anxiety, stress and depression.

Also, a peer education program called The Blues Project aims to build awareness and education on the cause among students. The program’s student volunteers receive extensive training in communicating causes, symptoms, and treatment. Corros is a peer educator for the project.

If you or someone you know is struggling please reach out to one of these resources.

• Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255)
• Reach the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741
• Call The Trevor Project at 1 (866) 488-7386, or text “START” to 678678
• Visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s website
• Visit the Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s website
• Call TeenLine at 1 (800) 852-8336 or text “TEEN” to 839863

This show was reported by the following team:

• Sammy Fernandes, moderator
• Samuel Novicki, producer
• Brenda Saldana, producer
• Jessica Vaughan, producer
• Serim Yeo, anchor