‘Lost Covid generation’ must be prevented

While this is an understandable draw, we must not allow it to distract us from the hugely detrimental impact Covid-19 has had on the lives of young people.

YMCA’s recent research report Back on Track revealed that 77 per cent of young people have felt lonelier and more isolated during lockdown, 73 per cent felt more stressed, and more than half were worried about falling behind at school. Six months into a global pandemic, this vulnerable and disproportionately affected group find themselves anxious, lonely and lost.

Young people have been removed from formal education, isolated from their peers, cooped up indoors amid splintering family relationships and experienced exam results chaos. The effects of such mammoth pressures are clear to see, and we need to do all we can to support young people in their recovery and help them rebuild for the future.

With the majority of pupils now back in school, the first step is a focus on education. We need to identify those young people whose learning has been disproportionately disrupted and support them to get back on track with their studies. We drill into our young people that a good education will lead to great employment opportunities and so their confidence has naturally been shaken here too. Any support offered post-lockdown must encompass young people’s access to an increasingly challenging jobs market.

More widely, we must also address the impact the pandemic and lockdown have had on young people’s mental wellbeing, and identify the steps needed to prevent any long-term damage. A return to life beyond the home has sparked angst as 52 per cent of young people now report feeling anxious about social interaction. Substantial intervention is needed to alleviate this fear and reintroduce a sense of security.

The government has made significant investment to support the country out of lockdown. However, the policies announced thus far have overlooked the impact on young people. What’s needed is a cross-departmental strategy for children and young people’s recovery from the pandemic. The strategy should focus on the short-term goals of immediate recovery, but continually measure the impact of Covid-19 on this generation of young people so that in the long term it can reflect the measures needed to fix any lasting damage.

With the country in a state of flux, young people face deep uncertainty about what is next for them post-Covid. However, with the right investment and strategy we can carefully and positively build young people’s confidence, provide much needed support and guidance, and ultimately help them to get back on track.

This cannot be the “lost Covid generation” and must instead be the generation that saw the true strength and resilience of this country to pull together and support the people who need it most.