The perceived acceleration of time and identity crisis amidst COVID-19’s lingering impact

As we navigate through the lingering effects of COVID-19, a seemingly collective feeling of time moving faster than ever before has arisen. This sudden scarcity of time has not only disrupted and fastened the pace of everyday life but has also contributed to a sense of identity loss. 

The interaction between COVID-19’s lingering impact of time flying by and confusion of identity has formed a synergy, exacerbating both components. Some individuals feel that despite the passage of time, their identities remain frozen in the past, while others feel that their identity underwent a dramatic shift during the pandemic, which contributed to precocious maturing before its due time. 

Students who were teenagers during the first wave of COVID-19 have been especially vocal about the pandemic’s impact on their perception of time. Most of these individuals share similar experiences of the disruption the pandemic brought during their high school lives: social isolation, shift to online classes and cancelled school events. 

However, it seems that the most noticeable change was the interference of the development of their identities — a crucial stage for teenagers and young adults. With the lack of normal routines and social connectivity, some of the pandemic teenagers did not form a coherent identity. They rather had to place this crucial element of their sense of self aside to navigate the challenges brought on by a virus that changed the trajectory worldwide of both personal and social life experiences. This disruption in the normal flow of how teenagers develop coherent identities was not initially recognized, at least not until the quickening of time after the pandemic’s first two waves had passed.

The acceleration of time – the notion that time is literally slipping away from your fingers – is now referred to as the “2020 effect” coined by social media users. The 2020 effect suggests that the pandemic was not only a virus that disrupted societal norms and the expected flow of life but was also a time warp, whereby the perception of time began to speed up after the pandemic. 

Some examples of how many social media users recounted their experiences of the 2020 effect is how they realized that they are no longer 17-year-olds navigating the pandemic but full-blown adults or how some people forget that 2017, described as the “last good year,” is not a couple of years ago but seven years ago. 

Combining the effects of COVID-19 and the speeding up of time, individuals then noticed an identity disruption, whether it be a lack of an authentic identity or maintaining a coherent identity. While personal anecdotes shared on social media about the lingering impact of COVID-19 on time and identity are certainly worth considering, one question remains: is the 2020 effect phenomenon backed by research?

Research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and influenced self-identity and perception of time. One study researching the identity development of emerging adults during the pandemic found that the participants’ identity influenced how they processed the pandemic, including other aspects, such as their mental well-being and political identity. This research indicates the importance of how people’s identities shape their understanding of social disruptions, in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Another research study found that participants traced back the significant changes in their personalities and identities attributed to the effects of the pandemic. Whether these were positive changes – such as increased openness to new experiences – or negative changes – such as a change in one’s sense of self because of the elevated feelings of loneliness or distance from people, leading people to feel more introverted – it is clear from the research that the pandemic contributed to changes in identity. 

In a similar light, studies have shown that the pandemic has resulted in “lost time” and altered perception of events. The distortion of time perception is due to the psychological consequences of social isolation during lockdowns and restrictions. Due to the stress and trauma that individuals were exposed to during the severe quarantine period in the first six months of the pandemic, it was later discovered that duration contributed to distortions in time perception.

In the presence of the lingering impact of COVID-19, the undoubtable feeling of time slipping away concurrent with the disruption in a coherent identity has impacted society’s young adults. As we continue to navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic, it is increasingly important to rediscover our sense of self amidst the change in time perception. 

The intangible impacts of the pandemic are just as significant – if not more important to understand and explore than the tangible impacts –as it has shifted the course of society and the norms once followed by individuals. 

While the fluctuation in identity and the feeling of time quickening continues to be a relentless underlying reality of individuals who experienced the pandemic, the echo of COVID-19’s influence on humanity illuminates the resilience within each individual in the wake of a lasting change.