In 2019, teenagers spent an average of seven and a half hours in front of screens each day, excluding homework. With the new reality of virtual school, that number has skyrocketed, leaving many students resentful and tired of how much of their lives are devoted to learning in a setting that just isn’t right for them.  

Junior Luca Antinozzi has not enjoyed this online year, to say the least.

“I don’t like it for sure,” said Antinozzi. “Like, it just feels kind of stupid and it does mess with me. I feel like I’ve had to set limitations on when I’m looking at a screen, especially before I go to bed and stuff.”

However, increased screen time hasn’t been the only issue. In his opinion, the entire virtual learning experience has been subpar.

“I hate online class in general, like it just sucks,” said Antinozzi. “The work itself isn’t that bad and, you know, I get my work done and all that, it’s just [that] being in an online class feels like a total waste of time. Doing virtual labs is the worst, so that kind of thing. A lot of the stuff that would be kind of good in person, like a lab or having a class discussion, is awful online, but the stuff that’s kind of medium like taking notes is the same.”

Sophomore Gabi Barrios shares these sentiments, but unlike Antinozzi, feels that there are a few minor positives to the situation.

“Honestly, it’s kind of lame, not gonna lie,” said Barrios. “But I like that there’s some time for individual work, I just don’t like how some of the teachers kind of just talk and don’t really teach. And it’s hard when a bunch of my teachers have quit, like I’ve had three health teachers this year all for the same class. Yeah, that’s exciting. And it’s kind of difficult to get assignments in on time, even though it should be like, ‘Oh, you have so much time,’ but I really don’t. I’ve got other classes to do work for. And it’s a bit hard to keep up with everything because I’m not on a strict schedule. So that can be difficult, but I think it can be almost relaxing at times, especially if I’m just sitting in the morning with a blanket and having a cup of coffee, logging into a class at eight-something in the morning. Like, at least I’m up and I’m actually doing something. That’s kind of nice I guess.”

After almost a year of online classes, it’s clear that students generally dislike the hefty portion of time they are forced to spend online for school. Though many remain unaffected and continue to spend hours watching Netflix or scrolling through Tik Tok, a few teens prefer to spend their time outside.

“Over the summer I got super into gardening and then this winter I got a greenhouse, so I’ve been doing that a lot,” said Antinozzi. “My mom was kind of into it and then I got into it. Right now I have a bunch of strawberries and herbs and I’m starting a bunch of stuff for the summer and […] I have house plants.”

Though there are many reasons to start a garden, ranging from monetary gain to personal consumption, Antinozzi sees the accessibility as a major appeal.

“I like it because it’s easy and doable, like, it’s in your backyard,” said Antinozzi. “I like going on hikes and stuff, but you can’t always do that. I can literally do this in class. So that’s the good part. I just like being outside and, you know, it’s very engaging seeing how different plants will grow together and stuff. Like one project I’m doing right now is I’ve been putting clover in with all my plants, because clover fixes nitrogen and I’m trying to do fertilizer-free gardening.”

When he’s able to pull himself away from his plants, Antinozzi enjoys the serenity of hiking.

“Yeah, […] I’ve been trying to get out. I’ve been doing a lot of trail running and hikes and stuff,” said Antinozzi. “I don’t go really far. It’s all just like day trips but I try and do as much of that as I can.”

Some of his favorite spots are only a short car ride away.

“Chattahoochee National Recreation Area is really close and easy to get to, so I go there a lot,” said Antinozzi. “Today I went to Suwanee Greenway. It’s like a thirty-minute drive but it’s super easy. You can take Buford Highway the whole way up, but it’s a really nice hiking trail. I like hiking because […] I like to exercise and it’s distracting and nature is pretty and all that, but it’s also interesting seeing those systems and stuff. When I was a kid I was super into like, flipping rocks and picking up salamanders and stuff, so I like that part of it for sure.”

Antinozzi doesn’t spend all his time outside hiking and growing plants though; he’s also an avid bird watcher.

“I’ve been doing some bird watching,” said Antinozzi. “It’s just a good thing you can do while you’re hiking around. And then also I’ve been doing a project with the Georgia Audubon Society. Basically, I manage it. They gave it to me. I started it in June. I manage about 100, 150 bluebird boxes in North Atlanta, so I walk to each of them and take notes on how the bluebird babies are doing and stuff, so that’s cool.”

His ornithological pursuits do not stop there, though.

“I’m doing another project, basically doing the same thing,” said Antinozzi. “It’s not through the Audubon Society, it’s basically through the club me and Paige Parker started, which is like this ornithology club. We just try to find projects through it. […] We actually are doing a work thing this Saturday in their neighborhood, the Gainsborough club pool. It’s on this creek that floods all the time so we’re doing […] restoration and we’re going to be planting along the creek bank. We’ve been doing some grassroots neighborhood fundraising and stuff. So we’ve raised a couple hundred dollars and we’re trying to get the pool to donate some. But yeah, we’re going to be building a bunch of gardens and doing that kind of thing. I’ve been doing as much as I can all the time. I’ve been trying to get out and be productive outside.”

Barrios has also been trying to spend more time outside, with tennis as her go-to form of exercise.

“Honestly, tennis is the main thing when it’s not raining or it’s not too cold,” said Barrios. “So, I will often find myself going to [play] tennis about three or four times a week I’d say. I think it’s around that number, or it used to be. I like that I get to go outside, you know, feel fresh air, because it seems like I’m cooped up in the house all the time, which is true. […] It’s the perfect sport for social distancing because you’re literally across the court from somebody else most of the time, so that kind of works out really well.”

However, exploring nature isn’t the only way students are unplugging. Music has been an escape from the monotony, even if the practice time is required for school.

“Yeah, I play flute,” said Barrios. “It’s going well. I should really practice more. I take lessons, virtual of course. So I’ll be doing that, and if I have to record something for band I’ll do that. But yeah, flute is going really well in my opinion. Not as good as last year, but it’s still good. I like that I get to play with other people. At least we can do that virtually through apps and websites […], and I enjoy just individual practice time. So far I’ve completed twenty études from this collection of pieces. That’s kind of been my long-term project. It’s from this composer, Garibaldi, and it was like twenty studies or something, so I recently finished that. Another long-term piece I’ve been working on is a Mozart piece.”

Another popular form of non-digital entertainment is the tried and true act of reading.

“[…] I finished the first Twilight book and now I’m on the second,” said Barrios. “It’s slow-moving so I haven’t really gotten through a lot of it, and it’s been a while since I’ve actually read, because I get so tired at night. Honestly, I used to read before bed last year, but not so much anymore. But I am enjoying it. I think I will finish the book at some point. I want to at least, so that’s good.”

Some people are not content with only reading and prefer to combine it with the challenge of learning a language. 

“I should be reading more, but I’m trying to learn Spanish so I read books in Spanish and it’s kind of horrible,” said Antinozzi. “I like Spanish, don’t get me wrong, it’s just reading a book in a language you’re not fluent in is not thrilling. I’ll put it that way.”

Though the process becomes difficult at times, Antinozzi is committed to his goal. 

“[I’m reading] El Alquimista. People read it in English, the Alchemist. […]. It’s a really good book and it’s pretty readable because it was actually written for Spanish. I tried to read the Hunger Games in Spanish and it was horrible because it wasn’t written for Spanish. It’s taken me way too long just because I don’t get excited about it in Spanish. I like some parts. Like, I listen to all Spanish music and stuff, but reading in a language you don’t understand is kind of wack. Especially a novel.”

Though reading in Spanish does not always excite him, listening to music in Spanish is a beloved hobby.

“My favorite song is “Fiebre” by Bad Gyal,” said Antinozzi. “[…] Also, Plastilina Mosh, like a lot of stuff from the 2000s, is good. […] Old Shakira is really good like “Las de la Intuición.” Those are all good songs. But I’ve been forcing myself to listen to mostly Spanish music for a long time, so I’m really into it.”

Although virtual learning is widely disliked because of its excessive screen time and lack of teacher-student interaction, it has allowed many students to further explore passions that might have remained dormant.