To think young people have been totally forgotten ??

[Mossang3l]

I was watching something earlier and it was the very elderly talking about how the community has come together to take care of them. Christmas dinners, companionship, gifts, phone calls, check ins etc. Wonderful. I’m very happy they are being looked after.

But it’s really struck a chord with me. There is NOTHING like this to look after the young even though they are sacrificing so much for everyone else.

They don’t have careers or adult social connections, they’re probably single, they’re missing their educations and exams, they’re probably the highest percentage to have lost their jobs, they can’t see their friends, their future prospects have been reduced massively (through the economy, educational inequalities, brexit etc).

They’re all lonely and isolated and scared and all that adults seem to do is bitch about students and the young. They’re moaned about and criminalised just for being young (well they were is September anyway but it’s stuck I fear). Far too many of them are committing suicide and yet still nothing happens.

My daughter (20) lost her job and can’t get a new one, hasn’t been into uni once and is so lonely. She signed up to volunteer with every organisation she could find and hasn’t heard back from a single one.

Surely we need to be doing more to help the young ? I fear they are being totally forgotten and may be having the worst time of all.

@Londonmummy66

I agree - pretty well all of the most serious consequences of Covid fall on the 14-30 age group who are amongst the least likely to suffer serious illness from the virus. We really are hanging the young out to dry for the benefit of the retired population who could really afford to stay at home now until the vaccine has rolled out.

It was sickening to read post after post on a thread about schools earlier this week that said that we can shut them down again as there are "only" 3.5 m working mothers and that the children will all "bounce back" when the school reopen.

At least schools are being discussed - the fate of the 18-30s not at university is really ignored - BBC news ran a story last week about the increase in the number of homeless on the streets of London now - everyone they interviewed said they had become homeless due to losing their jobs because of COVID lockdowns - it's a total disgrace that we have flung the generation who will be paying for COVID under a bus.

Totally agree with this. Young people are being hit the hardest whilst barely being at risk.

One of mine is year 10 - he simply doesn't have time as he is in exam years

My fear for my two year 10s too. Their lives won't return to 'normal' even if vaccinations are rolled out and infections reduced. To be honest, catching Covid is not the top of my worries with this (and I say this as somebody whose child was knocked about with Covid).

This will follow them during this key time and beyond. There is no bouncing back if they continue to be forgotten.

Young people don't vote Tory, or the Tories think that they don't. Or don't vote. So no chance of the government supporting them. The Education Secretary's contempt for education is not even hidden. The indecision over exams, whether or not schools should open and the limited support for online learning have all contributed.

Policies such as zero hour contracts in retailing have impacted more young people, and in any time where there is a recession, the young suffer more from job cuts as many job reductions are achieved by not recruiting. Young people seem to be less likely to be in jobs where they can work from home than average.

Young people are more likely to live in cities as rural housing is unaffordable for them, and more cities/towns than shires have had tier 3 or tier 4 restrictions (until yesterday at least). Other than theatres which have a wide audience age range, most of the things shut of long periods of time have been disproportionately used by young people (gyms, cinemas, for example).

Finally the inaction in March by the worst Prime Minister in history led to the initial period of restrictions being longer than would have been the case, and for schools at least, prevented some re-opening to other than key workers' children in late June or July.

@Vitaminsss I am years older than you but I get it. A sad waste of a year of your precious 20s.

Absolutely agree with you. We've developed a demented sentimentality about the over 80s, coupled with a complete lack of care for young people. They've been forced to sacrifice their educations and mortgage their futures, and all they get from their elders is abuse and contempt.

I am really at a loss as to what lies behind it. Is it that we all like to pretend that we are immortal? So the very very old have to be protected at all costs, to conceal the truth from ourselves - that its a fact of life that we get old and die? But that by itself doesn't explain the absolute loathing for young people you often see for example on Mumsnet. Bitterness, envy? A fear that they're happy, with things to look forward to, while we (their elders) are not? The young seem to be seen as some sort of expendable firewall to be used to protect old people, as being obliged to sacrifice everything for the old, not as people in their own right.

I've been really shocked by the tone of hatred in some threads about young people. There genuinely seem to be people out there who hate the idea of people being young, and carefree, and happy. Its very sad, and its had a toxic effect on our politics and freedoms and economy.

They're not missing their education or exams though, are they? Education professionals are moving heaven mad earth and putting their own health at risk to ensure this. Young people are the centre of the universe in that respect.

And

I agree, I had a team of 8 people 6 of them where young adults fresh out of Uni or in their first "proper " job, starting to stretch their wings with a bit of money in their pocket.

We all got made redundant back in October. Nobody has found a job, except one - temporary work with a well known online company. Most have given up their renals and moved back with parents.

They should have the time of their lives, not struggling on every aspect, with no end in sight.

@TheGreatSloth Agree completely. Yes, we have all been affected, but there was an awful lot of handwringing about elderly people living alone, families cooped up in flats with no garden, single parents, NHS workers - and yet when it's either teachers or anyone under 25 on here who has suffered ill effects it's tough shit.

@Oliv5

I don't know if I'm still a young person but I'm 28 and a student. I've not seen any of my friends since our course went online back in March. My best friend lives in England while I'm in Scotland, we usually meet halfway which we can't now. I can't see my family as they're vulnerable and two have been very unwell recently. I only own a little flat and I've felt really trapped, especially when DS is off school. I'll come out the other side feeling like I've lost the end of my 20s.

But would that be any better if you were a decade older and in the same boat? Given your already a mature student it's not like it's unlikely they're agent people in their 30s or 40s who are students and single parents living in small accommodation. Chances are their parents would be older so potentially more likely to be at risk. It isn't the preserve of the young to be suffering right now

Completely agree OP, the way young peoples well being has quite simply been sacrificed is a national scandal and no one seems that bothered at all. I'm disgusted at what's happened in education, the lack of decent online provision, properly regulated and monitored. I know teachers have had it tough but the impact on children is going to be massive, a lot won't just "bounce back" at all....I say this on the back of a 20 year career in children's mental health!

It's not natural for teenagers to spend this much time cooped in with their parents, it's delaying the essential tasks of adolescence. In fact I'd argue this much "family time" is unnatural across the generations. We all need a break and some separation from each other.

Yanbu. They are missing out on so much- social lives, travel, education and experiences. It's so unfair they must be bored to death when they could be out partying over Christmas and new year.
My are slightly older and have done some travelling and partying but at least two friends of theirs have had to cancel their weddings, one missed out on buying a house because they suddenly didn't have enough deposit. I really feel for the teens to 30 year olds the most.

talking about how the community has come together to take care of them
So given ops post was about community action to help the elderly, what are all those people saying late teens/twenties have it hardest doing? What community action would you like to see and what role do you see yourself playing in it? If you're in that age bracket saying yes you do have it worse than most others, same question. What can the community do to make you feel better?

U25s are totally shafted with minimal benefit.

From toddlers not learning social skills to young adults with inadequate degree provision and unable to find student or professional jobs.

Young people need their peers.

My 7yo is struggling with friendships. He had 5.5 months with only access to his 9yo sibling who has ASD. He used to trade pokemon cards on the playground. That's banned coz Covid, and he's lost that currency in maintaining friendships. He can't handle phone calls or video calling, he's not mature enough. He needs to do with children of his own age. In June/ July, it was causing him to display depressed behaviour. He sobbed that he needed new friends.

He hasn't got access to his range of sports, I can't burn enough energy out of him in short days, long nights, no company and the world turning to mud.

If my DCs aren't in school, they're probably gaming. It's inbalanced but we're just out of fight and inspiration.

DS1 has ASD, dyspraxia and dyslexia. Despite being an ex-teacher, SAHM with good resourcing, home learning was months of fruitless battling. DS1 simply can't cope with that merging of school life into home life... then DS2 copies. That lost half a school year and SEN interventions were valuable. He's y5 now, but I would have gone to open evenings to check where to send him for y7. It now needs to be a rushed decision in a few weeks next autumn. School not having laid eyes on him in 5.5 months has delayed an EHCP application, again this could cause additional issues for secondary provision.

Different young people face different issues, but there is a lasting generational legacy going on here that won't be fully clear for some time.

I hear you OP, I'm glad I'm not the only one sitting here wondering at what point does the long term negative impact on young people/children start to matter... It's gone far too far where people are saying they'll be fine, they're resilient etc.

We have a generation of young children who haven't been normally socialised in childcare or school already, child neglect going through the roof, many working parents already in their knees with work Vs home pressure, kids whose qualifications and school progress has been completely dashed, and all I keep hearing is oodles of local support for older people like my perfectly able bodied, not ill older relatives who have more disposable income than us (and certainly more free time, with houses with gardens to boot)!

I mean, it's great that support mechanisms are in place, but surely we can't just ignore the generation who'll be paying for this over decades to come?

I feel in the middle of these two generations and the lack of support for most people younger than me is extremely scary.

Completely agree OP. DD is 17 and has lost her work because of hospitality closures. She's dropped out of college because of possible ADD and couldn't get support but loved her job. Teens are programmed to be out in the world making their way, their brains are being rewired in a way that will affect the rest of their lives. Sitting in her bedroom alone for months on end is appalling. She's had covid too so massively unlikely to be a risk to anyone.

@Zenithbear

Yanbu. They are missing out on so much- social lives, travel, education and experiences. It's so unfair they must be bored to death when they could be out partying over Christmas and new year. My are slightly older and have done some travelling and partying but at least two friends of theirs have had to cancel their weddings, one missed out on buying a house because they suddenly didn't have enough deposit. I really feel for the teens to 30 year olds the most.

My 37 year old friend had to cancel her wedding and my 40+ yo sister missed out on buying a house. My single friends in their 30s have had their lives massively curtailed. Same age friends have had little to no support going through pregnancy / birth / early parenthood - some of us haven't seen a HV since 6 weeks and are now celebrating first birthdays. Yes it's shit for young people on their 20s but they're not special in that respect

I'm afraid the sacrifices of the young have been mostly emotional and obviously emotions just don't count as much as tens of thousands of deaths.

If you genuinely think that kids having to stay at home, not go to Scouts, miss out on a couple of holidays and be homeschooled for a bit is an over reaction in the midst of a global pandemic that's killed millions globally then you are frankly a cunt.

Don't bother wearing a Poppy if you're happy to sacrifice the elderly and vulnerable so your kids can go out with their mates.

I completely agree OP. My DS1 is 21. He's back from university after horrible term, most of us lessons were online and he was stuck in a shared house with people he had little in common with. He's decided not to go back as his mental health is so bad. He now needs to try and find a job when there's so little about. DS2 who is 19 has fared better. He's been working from home, but has spent the majority of his year stuck in his bedroom on his own.

@TabbyStar I’m sorry she’s been so badly affected. Do be careful assuming that she’s a risk though... there’s no evidence that having Covid gives you a long term immunity. and there’s also no evidence that even if you didn’t get ill again, you could carry it and pass it on. She may just as much a risk to others now as she was before, unfortunately.

There has been absolutely loads of recognition in the news and in charity campaigns about how shit this is for new mums. Campaigns for birth partners in early labour. The government allowed baby groups to resume in a socially distant manner. This is not an ignored group of individuals.

I agree completely. I feel so sorry for uni students who have had their teaching moved online. I’m sure for some it’s fine but I’d have hated it. I guess it works for lectures where the teacher can just screenshare and talk, but what about courses where seminars are a big part of it (which it was in my PGCE for example). I personally hate zoom and would struggle to engage in online discussions in the same way as in a classroom. Plus many courses have practical elements - I assume for things like medicine these still go ahead but I did psychology and biology and these both had practicals which couldn’t be reproduced via online learning - do they just get dropped?? It’s just not the same. And they’re paying £9k a year!!!!

I also worry about the time missed in education. Presumably, medical schools require a certain grade in eg chemistry, because that standard is necessary to succeed in the course. So last years y13s, who lost the last few months of their a levels and were awarded questionable grades - are they actually at the right standard for the courses they progress to? Even more so for current y13s who lost a term last year and will quite possibly lose more time this year, if they haven’t already. No matter how grades are awarded, those kids haven’t been able to learn as much and surely that’s got to be a disadvantage.

[quote hammeringinmyhead]@TheGreatSloth Agree completely. Yes, we have all been affected, but there was an awful lot of handwringing about elderly people living alone, families cooped up in flats with no garden, single parents, NHS workers - and yet when it's either teachers or anyone under 25 on here who has suffered ill effects it's tough shit.[/quote]
Agree with this.

Young adults have definitely had to give up the most as far as restricting their normal activities for the benefit of others.

Definitely agree......they have been forgotten.

@hammeringinmyhead there are absolutely zero baby and toddler groups anywhere near me and that's been the case since March. Literally nothing.