RAB Source Entry #3 — Rehana Parvin

Part 1 MLA Citation

How the pandemic affects the mental health of young people by DW News, April 18, 2021, Youtube

Part 2 Summary

In “How the pandemic affects young people’s mental health by DW news and was published on April 18, 2021. This video was published in Germany. The main idea of this video is that ever since the pandemic hit, people’s mental health has changed. Anne-Sophie Brandlin, the reporter, has been going around asking people how the pandemic has affected people’s mental health. Some people have said that they felt lonely, anxious, stressed, and depressed in the lockdown. Some people have lost their jobs and their loved ones. Some people also couldn’t get proper sleep. Some were having suicidal thoughts. Elise Paul, the UCL research fellow, has been explaining that the number of millennials has been feeling drained in the lockdown. But it’s not just in Europe or America, but seventy countries and one of them is India. Mythili Hazarika who is a clinical psychologist has been explaining that since the pandemic hit, people were worried about their careers and future and being able to get a job. The craziest thing she said in the video was that two people called her to let her know that they were gonna commit suicide by jumping off the bridge. At the end of the video, Brandlin tells us that there is good news because, for those that are struggling with mental health, you can contact the hotline and seek professional help. Elise states that the pandemic can be seen as an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health. Elise also gives us advice about being outdoors like gardening and exercising can help or if you can’t be outside you can stay at home exercising.

PART 3: REFLECTION

I can relate to this video so much because I’ve also been having anxiety, depression, and stress. I’ve been feeling anxious and lonely. I was also having suicidal thoughts during the pandemic. It’s like it hit me out of nowhere. Honestly, the only good thing about the pandemic was not being able to go to school in person. But I agree that being home all day and being isolated from people is very unhealthy. I also think that it’s even worse for those who had mental health issues before the covid and that’s just sad. I love the part in the video when Brandlin said that she also felt depressed and lonely during the pandemic. I myself couldn’t think about the future and my goals in life. The best thing I do is to reach out to someone that can guide me.

Part 4: Rhetorical / Genre Analysis

Anne, who is the reporter, has been interviewing people on the street, showing us that the pandemic has taken a massive toll on people with mental health. Many people were prone to the pandemic. The audience in the video is the people that are being open about how they felt during the pandemic. The purpose of this video is to show that being isolated too much from the pandemic can have a huge impact on people in a negative way. This genre is DW news. It’s very trustworthy news because everything the audience says in the video is very relatable. From the tone of Brandlin’s voice, she sounds very worried about people’s mental health issues and even explains to us that she’s been feeling drained while being isolated. The video is in Germany but Brandlin has mentioned that some other countries like India have been dealing with mental health issues during the lockdown. Her asking people questions on the street is very effective and useful.

Part 5: Notable Quotables

“I’ve become more depressed, I was in quarantine myself and that made it even worse” (Audience)

“I’m lonely, yes, and often very sad and I can’t sleep very well anymore either.” (Audience)

“And as for many of us, myself included, this has taken a massive toll on our mental health. I’ve always considered myself very happy and a positive person who’s in control but during the pandemic for the first time in my life, I’ve felt lonely, anxious, stressed, and depressed. I’ve even experienced some nervous breakdowns and panic attacks.” (Anne-Sophie Brandlin)