An extensive Guardian project has shown that the Covid-19 policy has the potential to leave millions of young people in Europe psychological and socio-economic trauma, with profound impacts on them and society.
Teenagers and young people Expressed deep anxiety Regarding their future, they accused the government of failing them because the 15-month blockade destroyed their mental health, education, and job prospects.
“Our generation has just been put aside as a problem to be dealt with in the future,” responded a 17-year-old from the north of England. A 21-year-old from Germany wrote: “We are the least important.” In France, a 21-year-old said that he considered himself part of the “sacrificed generation”.
Although Gen Z is the least likely to be infected with the coronavirus, the psychological impact of the biggest education interruption in modern history, the surge in unemployment, and the lockdown and isolation has disproportionately hit Gen Z. Young workers are also the group least likely to receive financial support due to unemployment.
The depth of frustration and anger reflected in the response may sound political alarm bells, just as European governments are using vaccination programs to control health crises and carefully reopen hard-hit economies.
They reflect what research has shown 64% of young Europeans are at risk of depression, Higher than 15% before the Covid crisis. An unpublished estimate by the European Union Life and Work Foundation shows that the situation is worse for people between 18 and 29 years of age. Women between the ages of 18 and 24 have the lowest levels of mental health.
Massimiliano Mascherini, the head of the foundation’s social policy, told the Guardian: “The risk for the future is that we have a group of people who spent nearly a year and a half early in the complete blackout. Life, without gaining any experience or human capital. They may represent a part of the workforce that will suffer for life.”
Hundreds of 16-25 year-olds from 30 countries participated in a European Guardian campaign, which was conducted in conjunction with European news organizations Germany, France, Italy and Spain, Understand how the Covid crisis affects them from Gen Z. The first such exercise since the beginning of the pandemic provides a snapshot of the negative attitudes of teenagers and young people on the African continent towards crisis management.
Klaus Hurrelmann, a professor of public health at the Herty College Berlin, said that “forgetting” young people is a political mistake that could lead to “generational wars” in the decade after the pandemic. “It hurts everyone, this decision sends a message to young people,’You are not a priority, first we must take care of the elderly.'”
The answer suggests that the shock will inspire the most resilient members of this age group to take the climate and other battles into their own hands. “We have a lot of problems to face, and we have to lead a lot of revolutions,” said a 16-year-old Frenchman. Covid may even politicize Generation Z in unforeseen ways, just as global earthquake events have historically shaped generations that grew up at their peak.
Respondents from various European countries said that this crisis made them lose patience with systemic changes and decided that their generation will create more caring society in the future.
“We need a full restructuring. How can we justify living in an economy where people I know celebrate their vacation because they don’t like their jobs so much?” said a 17-year-old from the West Midlands, England. “The pandemic cannot beat us. We are stronger than this,” another said.
Others revealed that the long-term isolation has made them understand the need for “real” human interaction. “Life cannot live on social networks or video calls. We need people around us to understand ourselves,” said a Dutch student.
But for now, the effects of anxiety, loneliness, academic pressure and long-term insecurity are expressed in overwhelming terms: “roller coaster”, “tribulation”, “overwhelming”, “horrible” and “burnout” are used. To describe the feelings of life for many young people.
“Take so many things from us. We don’t get support, it’s just [being] It is unrealistic to expect a rebound,” said a sixth grader in England. “My mental health has deteriorated very badly. I had to start taking antidepressants,” said a British undergraduate.
An 18-year-old girl in Barcelona said that she was “locked” in a small apartment with her extended family for several months and shared a computer, which put her in a “terrible” mental state.
“I often feel anxious,” said a 23-year-old student in Estonia. “The uncertainty of the future hurts the most.”
Many responses, we posted 50 of them today, Reflecting their fears, although they face the most unstable job market in decades, young people will have to clean up the debris left by the dual challenges of Covid and the climate emergency. A Spanish teenager summed up this view: “Previous generations left a terrible world. They told us,’You have to solve this problem.’ It’s not fair at all.”
Mascherini said: “This is a very bleak combination of mental health, economic and social impact. In the previous recession, the people who suffered the most in the labor market left scars on later employability. They never Did not catch up.”
He emphasized that the risk lies in the rise of youth dissatisfaction, plus The breakdown of trust, “May be captured by political forces that deliberately undermine young people’s belief in democracy.”
Hurrelmann said the government should provide free university tuition, job security and other support. “They must send a signal: We want you to enter society and start your life.”
Fatigue on apps and social media is a recurring theme. “Although we are used to social media, the Internet, mobile phones and computers, now we can no longer stand it,” said an 18-year-old school leaver in Athens.
“We should re-do things such as spontaneous socialization and physical contact,” said a student at a British university.
A student in Freiburg, Germany added: “Spending your 18th birthday on the Zoom conference call is hardly an experience that will still laugh with friends in 5 to 10 years.”
Online learning is almost universally unpopular: “I now know how bad an online classroom can be even with a good teacher,” says a 20-year-old French mathematics undergraduate.
“This completely ruined my university experience and the quality of my degree,” said a student in the final year of a university in London. “I hate online learning, and I hate knowing that I have to pay full price for several Zoom courses every week.”
Most interviewees stated that they have been struggling to seek help with the psychological effects of the pandemic.
“None of the friends I know is neither depressed nor/or anxious. My mental health has deteriorated so badly this year that I have to start taking antidepressants,” said a student in Wales.
But Herrelman said that the common sense that young people are less important than any other group in society may be promoting a new unity within Generation Z.
“A whole generation, not just those who feel disadvantaged and frustrated, are now convinced that’our interests as a group, our desires and needs are not counted.’ In this regard, the pandemic is between Generation Z. Unity is established between; it promotes the unity of this generation.”