To think the gathering of teens/twenties in the park/skatepark are not doing any harm?

[CrowdedHouseinQuarantine]

Particularly now?
it has been tough for them and this is their new normal

It’s teens using the skate park during lockdown that caused my entire local park to be closed to everyone - so that was lovely. And I know that lots of teens have abided by the rules but they are also the ones I’ve seen breaking them the most too. Huge groups of them - up to 30 on one occasion. So yeah... let them carry on. It seems pointless to do anything now.

Some adult couples were able to start physical contact again after the single person bubble rule and I certainly don't judge teens who are having physical contact with their bf/gf considering that they can't benefit from that rule.

Hopefully the 4 July update will see some relaxations that teens can benefit from although I bet that they centre on stuff that won't mean anything to them like beer gardens reopening.

@PersonaNonGarter

I am no longer as interested in the sacrifices of older people - by that I mean 30yo+ as I am in the sacrifices and losses that the younger generations have to bear. It is completely disproportionate.

I think older (30+) should not expect that youngsters be subjected to the same rules.

How do you work that one out? It’s for the benefit of all. And FYI any austerity as a result of it will be a political choice, not a necessity, so they won’t have to work this off for ages if it’s managed properly.

Absolutely. They’ve already paid a very heavy price to keep other people safe, we should be encouraging outdoor activities that give them some normal interaction with others.

And also @PersonaNonGarter none of the measures work if everyone doesn’t do them. If under 30s are running around getting infected, they won’t restrict their passing on to other under 30s;non-vulnerable people.
Public health measures only work if they are consistent.

I absolutely encourage DS to meet up with friends and trust him to be as careful as possible with regard to SD. They're a sensible bunch - even arranging a time table of all meeting up so there's no more than 6! They're year 11 so not back in school bubbles and none have shielding families etc.

TBH most people round here seem to have given up in the last week, my neighbour is a pre school teacher and absolutely terrified going back to work last week, didn't allow her youngest to go back ( I know all this as she told me) etc and yet a week later she's got her son, his wife and very young grandchildren over - all hugging etc. I don't think she should be, but if she thinks that's ok then crack on. We'll continue listening to the rules and going with it.

YANBU. We went for a late dog walk last night about 9.30 at our local country park and they don't allow any BBQ's or anything, but there was a group of teenagers with a Gazebo up by the lake having a bit of a party and I was thinking actually it's nice for them to do that after not seeing their mates for weeks, and it was out in the open so less risk. My ds1 wanted to go and meet with mates yesterday in someone's house to watch the football and I firmly said no due to the risk, but outdoors I think is fine.

^ And also @PersonaNonGarter none of the measures work if everyone doesn’t do them. If under 30s are running around getting infected, they won’t restrict their passing on to other under 30s;non-vulnerable people.
Public health measures only work if they are consistent.^

This isn’t true. At the beginning of lockdown we knew very little about the disease. But now we know the at risk groups and it is for those groups to take care of themselves. The world is full of risk.

This group of youngsters are more likely to suffer job loss, poor prospects, fewer training opportunities and generally a lot less fun because of the pandemic. They can’t get their teens/early twenties back.

"I think older (30+) should not expect that youngsters be subjected to the same rules."

Maybe we should let them play on the motorway too? All those 'meanies' who won't let you do what you like eh? You never really got over being a teenager did you.

But hey! think of it as Evolution in action. Maybe the average intelligence of the human species will go up a bit when this is over.

I know that the science has flip flopped on kids (one day they are super spreaders, next day they don't spread at all) but if they aren't spreading it as the science suggests then I agree that they should be allowed more freedom than old people.
If the virus affected the young rather than the old I think that politicians would have quarantined the young and their families and allowed the elderly to manage their own minimal risk but kids aren't voters so not a priority for politicians.
I understand that having different rules for different ages is too hard to enforce as some young people live with grandparents or shielders but teens have paid a high price and aren't going to benefit from lockdown loosening until gatherings can be any size and places that they enjoy hanging out open as normal

How do you work that one out? It’s for the benefit of all

It’s not though is it? The only person in my (and my teenagers) family or friends is self isolating to protect themselves anyway. My teenager hasn’t benefited from anything here, his risk of even being moderately ill is minimal, and even then that’s only if he actually catches it. He probably won’t though. He’s no more at risk from Covid than he is from meningitis or any other virus .

So no, these rules aren’t for the benefit of all. They started off to benefit the NHS which was fair enough, but now we know that the NHS can cope, the only benefit to the rules continuing is to old people.

@OhFuckOffWithTheBubbleBollocks

"I have lost count of the things I have had to sacrifice - a wedding, a graduation, two fiftieth birthday celebrations, a much needed holiday abroad, seeing and holding my newly arrived baby nephew. So yes, damn right I expect everyone else to do the same."

Look I know it's shit and lots of us have sacrificed lots of things, but do you genuinely think as an adult "'my life is shit so I want other people and children's life to be shit too"?

If restrictions are lifted gradually (and change perhaps for different areas and different age groups) I would much much rather they are lifted first for the age group of DC and teenagers. Yes we have missed birthdays and holidays but there are other birthdays and holidays for adults - but DC only (for example) sit their exams or have their 18th birthdays or have a freshers week, and the usual rites or passage, once - they can't do them again!

I'm missing lots of things now but I have had those rite of passage moments and I'm an adult!

agreed 100%

In my experience it is not 'older' people that are grumbling about them doing it either. Many of them (me included to an extent as I am 65) totally appreciate the greater need for children and young people to get on with their lives. 3 months or even 6 months is a much smaller proportion of my life than it is of theirs. (I made more memories in a month as a teenager than I do in a year these days).

It's some people of any age who seem to want to dictate to others, even when there is evidence that the activities are low risk.

Maybe we should let them play on the motorway too? All those 'meanies' who won't let you do what you like eh? You never really got over being a teenager did you.

@LastTrainEast say what?
I would definitely reply if I could understand your point. But to clarify: teens/early twenties have sacrificed more than any other age group and will never get this time back. This virus is of fleetingly small danger to them, and yet they are being asked to pay for it the most.

Education, socialising, training, jobs.

For fucks sake leave them alone in parks.

"But hey! think of it as Evolution in action. Maybe the average intelligence of the human species will go up a bit when this is over."

@LastTrainEast How nice of you to share with us you think that the people who have already died were clearly of lower intelligence. Only the intelligent people will be left alive! Like yourself, of course?

It's not evolution, that's you being a dick.

It also makes me smile a bit that after years of MN posts about teenagers congregating in a sinister manner in parks, drinking, leaving rubbish, hogging the play equipment, breaking the swings - now the little fuckers are skateboarding.

0.06% have CV on a given day. You'd have to meet 60,000 people before you might meet that one person with the virus
A tiny number of under 20s have died
Outdoors is less risk than indoors
Some teens are back in classrooms with 14 others (assuming a 15 bubble)
You can see why schools have reopened and sports training will start again soon.

Assuming that teens aren't going around groping and snogging everyone then the risk is tiny - especially if they wash hands regularly (mine do) This virus is much more risky for the over 70s and that's a sad fact not evolution

instead of going to the skate park, they could of course play tennis or golf, as that is allowed, thanks Boris

Tennis and golf 😂

Teens can't have a kick about or play a bit of basketball because of the contact aspect but adults can go to beer gardens soon. Lucky them!