Exploring the pandemic’s price on youth
Featuring the work of Pascale Mompoint-Gaillard
Uncertainty for students has been around for a while.
However, the present uncertainty triggered by the pandemic is of another scope and it has consequences:
Anxiety levels of young people has nearly doubled since the first lockdown.
The most fragile students are often impacted first: those already anxious, isolated, fearing failure, and struggling with low self-confidence, can “fall off the cliff”, and drop into anxiety and depression.
Other students may “plough through” with less visible short-term impact… but long-term?
Most likely there will be consequences for all.
Youth gain and integrate self-confidence from relationships & experiences.
These have been taken away this past year.
And a year for a your person is not the same as a year for a grown up!
The brain is developing until 25 years of age.
The uncertainty, fear and lack of confidence triggered by the pandemic is impacting this natural period of growth and will likely leave scars.
How do we avoid a “Generational Massacre”, the breaking of the construction and confidence in life of a generation of youth?
It is important that we take students wellbeing and mental health very seriously!
Support youth’s ability to be active and social.
Consult youth in decision-making for pandemic policies.
