Regression During the Pandemic

By Ashley Conner

Senior, English Major, IUPUI

As we mark a year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are beginning to reflect on how our lives and habits have changed in quarantine since March 2020. Before the pandemic, many college students were living on their own for the first time, growing their social circle, and laying the foundations of their future. Now that many of us have been forced back home with their families and with lost career opportunities, we have had to find new ways to fill our time and give ourselves a break from school, work, and a never-ending news cycle.

When going out and hanging out with friends are not possible, we turn to other sources of entertainment. Many are finding that returning to things they loved when they were younger—whether that be TV shows, movies, or video games—to be comforting. Others are finding media offers a much-needed mental break from the stress of life.

Some of my classmates at IUPUI have rediscovered media and hobbies they had abandoned. One started painting and crocheting again and playing video games like Minecraft and Animal Crossing. They reignited their love for the "emo" music and anime they watched in middle school. Another said that they had a newfound love of both Criminal Minds and Taylor Swift's music. Still others have chosen to take up a skill they practiced in the past, such as baking, piano, and gardening. What does psychology say about these trends, and how have they affected college students?

In psychology, “regression is a defense mechanism in which people seem to return to an earlier developmental stage.” It is used to avoid stressful situations by allowing the person to go “back to a time of familiarity and security.” It is not unreasonable to say that the pandemic has been a major stressor in all our lives, so looking for comfort in our pasts makes sense.

In my experience, spending so much time at home has allowed me to reflect on my childhood and teenage years. When the stress and burnout from online university gets to me, I find myself gravitating towards media and hobbies that were comforting to me when I was younger, especially those I had left unfinished. I have binged The Twilight Saga, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Victorious, all of which I loved but for whatever reason never finished when they first came out. I also got serious about learning to sew, a skill I have been wanting to improve on for years and which has allowed me to make some of my dream clothes a reality.

Psychologists recommend that everyone dealing with chronic stress focus on self-care. This can take many forms, but it centers on activities that refuel us to continue with our responsibilities.

One such activity would be watching media that distances you from stressors for a while. Psychology refers to this as escapism, when “we’re looking for moments of just detaching from our experience and immersing ourselves in other narratives and stories.” We turn to stories that give us a feeling of control over our world and give us the chance to manage heavy emotions.

While doing this can become unhealthy without other forms of expression, wallowing in stress and anxiety is worse. Taking time away from responsibilities to relax my mind and body has been instrumental to managing my mental health, and there were times when media was the only escape available.

I am not alone in this feeling either. When I spoke to classmates about how media has affected their mental health, I found that it was helpful for many of them. One person said that “it absolutely helped me keep my sanity while being so disconnected from everyone.” Another felt that streaming shows was a nice distraction from feeling overwhelmed. When I asked about specific shows my classmates had been watching, over half had watched Tiger King and The Mandalorian. These shows have almost nothing in common, but they both offer a look into another life that is exciting and dynamic, a stark change from the monotonous quarantine.

Though the topics of media we consume can sometimes worsen feelings of stress or anxiety, like during the election, escapist media has at least a temporary effect of lessening stress.

We are all looking toward an uncertain future, but the vaccine has given us hope that the end of the pandemic in is sight. In the meantime, daily life can feel lonely and overwhelming. Seeking comfort and escape through media may be just what we need to see us through the end of the semester.