By Samarah Guy  

Photo by: Samarah Guy

As the weather warms up and kids get excited to have fun in the sun, there are still some things to keep in mind as the summer months roll in.  

Summertime is a time for kids to experience freedom and relaxation, but many may feel a sense of loneliness or boredom.  

“I love it because I can just relax, but sometimes I get bored and don’t really have anything to do a few weeks into summer.” sophomore Xavier Zink said. 

Without school in session, many teens stay active the first few weeks of summer but quickly run out of things to do, leaving them bored. It can be hard for a teenager to enjoy their summer when they are still limited to what they can do.  

“In the summer I don’t hang out with as many people as I do when school starts,” Zink said. “It gets really boring after so long because there is only so much you can do as a teenager without your license or a car.”  

Self-isolation increases during the summer as well. School provides structure and the opportunity for kids to be social; without the structure of school, teens may run into issues with anxiety, depression, poor behavior or socialization.  

“My grades aren’t the best when I come back from summer break,” senior Jesse Keffer said. “It usually takes me a bit of time to get back into the habit of keeping up with schoolwork, so my grades end up suffering in the beginning of the year.”   

During summer months kids get a chance to relax their brain from working hard in school. Although this is good for a short period of time, students can experience summer learning loss; according to Brookings.edu, kids lose 17-25% of knowledge from the prior school year.  

“Summer really makes it hard for me to keep a good sleeping schedule,” Keffer added. “I end up staying up longer than I should and sleeping more into the day.” 

Without the worry of being up early for school, kids have the tendency to stay up late. Although this may sound appealing, a bad sleeping pattern can lead to poor mental health and cause issues with sleeping when school starts back up in the fall.  

Despite the negative effects summer has on teens, there are many positive effects that come with the warm weather.  

In the summer teens tend to build strong social connections with others because they usually hang out with friends or go to work; this skill can help with future jobs, community activities and it can better one’s mental health.  

Most people tend to use the free time in the summer to explore new interests. The exploration of new activities can lead to future career opportunities, develop new skills, stay intellectually involved and increase self-confidence.  

“Summer gives me a break from doing what I do every day,” Librarian Mrs. Carrie Vottero said. “It’s such a de-stressing time for me. I like to just spend my time outdoors in the sun listening and watching everything that’s going on around you.” 

Summer gives people the chance to just relax and take a break for as long as they please. This is good because it gives the brain a chance to stop working as hard. It also allows one to recharge and reduce stress levels.  

“I think summer is a great opportunity for you to step back from the electronic world that we are all so wrapped up in,” Mrs. Vottero added.  

Photo by: Samarah Guy