COVID-19 has been incredibly difficult on young people. Kids and youth are facing unprecedented challenges including mental health issues, struggling with loneliness during self-isolation, lack of motivation, and adjusting to online learning.
The COVID-19 Youth Impact Survey is tracking a number of trends in regard to the challenges and potential future issues of this situation.
Here are testimonials from youth across Canada about the impact of COVID-19:
“Before the pandemic my mental health wasn’t the best but everything got worse after all the social distancing and self isolation because all the things that I loved were put on pause. All the things that I counted on to keep me going were taken away. I started slipping deeper into my depression and the fact that I didn’t have anything to do on a day to day basis left me lacking motivation.”
“The worst part of self-isolation and social distancing for me was the fact that many of the summer jobs/opportunities I applied for were cancelled due to COVID-19. These would have been helpful as experience to write on my resume and university application for next year.”
“Restrictions on gaining work experience or skill building experiences over the summer time which can decrease chances of university acceptance.”
Youth Culture is working on a number of research initiatives to further understand the impacts of COVID-19 and also to find innovative ways to support youth personally and professionally. If you would like more information about this research, please contact us.
