Mental Health Awareness and the Importance of Socialization for Education in the Post-COVID19 Era

Due to the shift of civilization from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) literacy has become a necessity in the twenty- first century. However, in order to learn and contribute to the STEM community, one has to be in a state of good mental health. Where ‘good mental health,’ is defined as one who has developed a set of healthy coping strategies, while being in a positive learning environment, and having a social support system. Traditionally, universities have been the venue of such higher learning but COVID19 has introduced some unexpected challenges. This paper briefly discusses the importance of socialization, specifically for young mathematicians, scientists and engineers, and potential consequences of reduced social exposure in the post-COVID19 digital era.

Keywords: Mental health; STEM; COVID19; Amygdala; Autism-spectrum disorder; Mixed reality