How is the pandemic affecting young people in the UK?

Media outlets have taken to calling young people growing up against the backdrop of the pandemic the ‘lost generation’ or in some cases ‘Covid Kids’. These labels, although chosen to reflect the impact the pandemic has had on this demographic, do little to help people understand the effects of the pandemic.   

The other danger of using these blanket terms is that they do not accurately represent the situation that some young people find themselves in. While the pandemic has given many of us shared experiences, assuming all young people have been affected the same, minimises the scope of the issue. What has become clear is how much a young person's socio-economic background determines how much they are affected by the pandemic restrictions.   

Wealth is Health  

It’s often said that ‘health is wealth’ but the coronavirus pandemic has proved this notion to be fiction. Research from the past 12 months has repeatedly shown that young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are at more risk from: the virus itself; mental health problems; crime; and malnutrition.   

Wealth has also had a direct impact on young people’s education, whilst schools have been closed. Digital poverty in the UK means that as many as 1 in 5 young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds hasn’t had access to an appropriate device to be able to study remotely from home. By missing out on key elements of their education, not only is this impacting their mental health but also their prospects for the future.   

Age as a factor  

Whilst young people have been universally affected by the coronavirus, their experiences have been far from uniform. Different age groups have had to contend with a different set of issues that have different implications for their futures.   

Health visitors are particularly concerned about how pandemic life is affecting the development of babies. Through a lack of parent and child groups, playdates and the such like, children under the age of 2 are experiencing a stunted level of social contact which could impact them for the rest of their lives.   

Teenagers on the other hand have been disproportionately affected by how they are portrayed in the media. Those in this age group are much more likely to internalise how they are represented and then repeat this behaviour. The volume of articles reporting on rises in self-harm and suicide amongst teens has some worrying that there could be an increase in levels of ‘imitative suicidal behaviour.’  

Accelerating existing problems  

Advocates for young people have been quick to point out that a lot of mental health issues, although highlighted by the pandemic, have been brewing for a lot longer. It is widely acknowledged that our young people’s mental health has been diminishing since the advent of social media platforms. Many believe that if anything the pandemic has done little but accelerate the growth of this problem.  

The government are hoping to tackle these problems head-on via a new initiative. Newly appointed Children’s Commissioner, Rachel De Souza, is launching a ‘once in a generation’ review into the future of our nations young people. With a scope inspired by William Beveridge’s 1942 report on social welfare, De Souza hopes to achieve the largest ever consultation into children's services in the UK’s history.   

Termed the ‘Big Ask’, the consultation will take place sometime after the Easter break. Taking the form of an online survey, it will be sent to schools across the country and heavily advertised via children’s charities, social media, and other channels. Commenting, a Government spokesperson said:  

“We know that children and families have faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic. We’ve expanded frontline charity support and provided new resources for schools and teachers to support children and young people’s mental health, as well as training from experts to overcome any anxiety or trauma as they return to the classroom.  

“Our £1.7 billion investment in recovery support will help tackle the impact of any lost learning and we are investing an additional £79 million to increase the number of mental health support teams working with schools and colleges.”  

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