Five years ago, it felt like the world paused. Offices shut down overnight, dining tables became desks, and the global workforce reformed itself to function on the basis of “work from home.” Yet, as we teenagers transition into active members of the workforce, we may begin to see the long term faults and implications of this work culture. By promoting isolationism and negating social skills, remote work has blurred work life boundaries. This blur challenges our perception of when work and home life should separate. 

We all know it—the classic Zoom class. Students with their cameras off, completely tuned out from the content of their lectures. Isolated from school, and thereby one another. As the world saw during online schooling alternatives utilized during the peak of COVID-19, completely remote work can have a detrimental effect on mental health and wellbeing. The World Health Organization says that the pandemic triggered a 25 percent increase in general anxiety and depression, which they attributed to a lack of human interaction. Many school districts recognized this challenge, returning to normal and bringing students back into the physical classroom— even despite potential health risks. Contrasting these prompt adjustments, many work environments have yet to bounce back from their quarantine office policies. The shift in pre to post-COVID-19 work culture is stark, with sixteen percent of American companies operating and hiring on a fully remote basis (Everhour), and 35 percent of jobs offering blended work. Telework has not only expanded within itself, but grown the workforce overall. Americans love remote work—at least in the short run. But is there an unknown aspect of remote work that is causing harm?

Most LM students can relate to the feeling of being unable to disconnect from school. Whether it’s an abundance of homework, an overly packed schedule of sports and extracurricular activities, or the heavy social challenges that come from being a teenager, the struggle is shared. Many look forward to their future careers and hope that they will be less involved. Kalina Rauer ’26 shares “I feel like school has a lot of expectations that come with it, and I honestly am really excited to get a job when I’m older. I like that there are parameters on the amount of time I have to work each day, and I won’t have such an overhaul of work.” While this is a common goal, blended and remote work have begun to take away this typical idea of working life, causing employees to constantly be “plugged in” and on deck for employers to fork over work to. A study published by Eurofound magazine found that compared to remote workers, those who worked in person were sixteen percent less stressed, and experienced less trouble sleeping. If school already feels all-consuming, will the future workplace be any different? The very structure that students search for in their careers—a clear separation between work and home—may erode before we even get there. 

Beyond blurring work-life boundaries and increasing mental health challenges, remote work is also reshaping professional relationships. While offices were once the perfect environment for networking and growing your professional social skills, they are now automized to reduce in-person interactions. Such automation ultimately cuts opportunities for intercompany growth. As networking becomes more and more prevalent in the workforce, this reduction can be detrimental to those just starting out. Calvin Rendle ’25 shares, “I’m worried that because of remote work, it will be impossible for me to network in my future job. I want to be able to move up, but the amount of remote work out there today is a threat.” Ultimately, while remote work offers more flexibility and convenience, it also presents significant challenges for career growth and development. As companies adapt to this new landscape, they must continue to assess the challenges presented by remote work and the long-term implications. 

Remote work has reshaped the workforce, providing flexibility while blurring the boundaries and limiting professional growth. As we enter this new landscape, companies will need to learn to balance efficiency with connection and foster authentic relationships between coworkers. Such measures will help ensure that young people entering the workforce are not left in the dust; that they are provided the opportunity to grow as workers.