Some incomplete small-sample local data smashed together doesn’t outweigh everything we know about child psychology in my mind. We know kids need hugs. They need to see faces. They need to get out and do things. They need friends. They need Christmas and Thanksgiving with family. https://twitter.com/tylerblack32/status/1357765466601775106

We also know the anecdotal evidence that child psychologists are presenting are increases in SEVERITY of the cases they are seeing. Also this thread (not a peer reviewed actual study mind you) is discounting “deaths of despair”, which are rising. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/deaths-of-despair-depression-mental-health-covid-19-pandemic

I just think even if the data isn’t bearing it out yet, we WILL at some point see adverse long term lingering mental health effects from this weird human experiment in isolation when the dust finally settles.

And maybe the mental health crisis isn’t manifesting itself in suicide increases at all. But very clearly people are having mental breakdowns on a grand scale from losing their jobs and/or working from home while balancing the well-being of their kids. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/02/04/parenting/working-moms-coronavirus.html

And I think the biggest impact is on this pre-K to about 5th grade generation who are going to be suffering the long term effects I’m talking about. They’re being taught not to trust anyone because getting close or touching them will get you sick, and can’t possibly process that.