We asked young people to tell us how they’re going with the COVID-19 restrictions and here’s what we heard:
Young people are experiencing increased stress and anxiety about job losses and they’re worried about how they or their family will pay rent and utilities. They are also worried about how they will buy food, medications and other necessities.
Young people are reporting increased feelings of isolation and anxiety as a result of COVID-19 and are concerned about their own and others mental health & wellbeing. They’re worried about vulnerable family members contracting the virus.
Young people are anxious about online education and aren’t getting the support they need to navigate the transition. They’re worried about falling behind in their studies.
Not all young people have access to tech or data and online and phone support/services don’t work for everyone, so some aren’t getting the support they need.
We also asked what they would like to say to decisions makers:
Young people want the government and educational institutions to make sure no-one is left behind or made worse off by COVID-19.
Young people want to know what governments are planning to do to address unemployment and what financial supports and protections will be put in place to ensure they and the wider community avoid increased disadvantage.
We’ve shared this info with the state government and asked what they’re going to do to make sure young people receive the support and services they need during the pandemic and beyond.
We’ll provide updates here about their response but in the meantime, if you haven’t already completed our survey, we’d like to hear from you! Take the survey here.
