This is so fucking shit for young people

[ssd]

Yeah i know its shit for everyone before you pounce on me

But imagine being around 20 just now...no pubs, no nightclubs, no jobs around, no buzz in your town centre, no excuse to dress up in something new, or planning your latest night out, meeting your pals and all the excitement of the night ahead.

Its just so fucking shite.

I got the train home tonight from work, Glasgow city centre is a ghost town. Places that were always busy boarded up, of course everything except like of newsagents and tesco's shut. Its Friday night. It was always jumping when i was young, absolutely jumping. It was dead. On the train was a bunch if young boys, playing music a bit too loud, all singing along....going home from the city centre at 6pm!!!!. I could have cried watching them all, a nice sunny evening and the only place they are heading was back to mum and dads, or a local park maybe, i dont know. They were about 18, casual dressed, haircuts, all wanting a good time with their pals and probably hoping to meet a partner if they were single.

Where is the life for these kids???

This has gone on long enough. I dont care if i never see inside a pub again. I've had a brilliant social life at that age. Now they have fuck all.

Its too much.

I feel very sorry for the young people and anyone who has a social life.
Don't blame any of them for getting together and partying now. Enough. It's over.
Not a single person I know is following the rules anymore.

My sons online Maths tutor told me her dd did not get a prom last year and as her birthday April 1st no birthday night out with friends 2 years in a row now, last year was her 18th and doing uni work at home with her Mum. So sad for her.

Id be interested in actually hearing from the elderly to see if they think this has been worth it for them. For them to see the effects on the younger generation. Id guess at least 3/4 would say absolutely no way was it worth it.

But if course we'll never know.

I don’t think young people will ever forgive us for what we’ve done to them, nor should they.

And they’ll be paying off the billions of debt racked up.

It’s appalling how we’ve treated them, just awful.

@wingingit987 You say that we chose to protect the vulnerable - vulnerable to what? Covid ruthlessly discriminates against the elderly and those with certain conditions. But the young and poor are vulnerable in other ways and thanks to the response to covid are more likely to lead poverty-stricken and miserable lives.

Lack of education, healthcare and social protection kills just as a virus does. I fear that the death toll from the effects of restrictions will be very heavy for many years.

Surely this is at the heart of what we fear when we fear for young people. Not just the lack of fun and socialising, but the real danger of poverty, unemployment and removal of healthcare and welfare.

@SamBeckettsLastLeap My 85 year old mum agrees with your gran. She says to me "whats going to be left for young people when all this is over"

The war also brought about huge social change and jobs both during we time and after for many decades. This pandemic will not do either one of those and will hit low earners and the young the hardest.

@HermioneWeasley

I don’t think young people will ever forgive us for what we’ve done to them, nor should they.

And they’ll be paying off the billions of debt racked up.

It’s appalling how we’ve treated them, just awful.

Perhaps the very many clinically vulnerable young people might be grateful.

I'd like to think the rest would be grateful too, that measures were taken to try to reduced the risks of them suffering long term illness (long covid).

Tealights you're talking rubbish.

My mum was born in the 40s, she left school when she was 13 to work, and she spent a good deal of her youth going to dance halls, having holidays with her friends and going to concerts. She had the same sort of freedom young people today have.

I have a DSS, 21. Graduating this year. It has been far harder on him than me and DH, our primary-aged DC or his grandparents in their 70s. He has started to suffer from quite serious depression. I hope things will improve for young people over the next few months. 21 was the most fun age for me personally and I hope young people get to catch up on some of their fun soon.

@MobyDicksTinyCanoe That’s exactly it - those at the bottom of the ladder will suffer the most. I am not personally worried for my DC who are set up to be fine. I am concerned about the poorest and most vulnerable, and the effect on a society which is dividing more sharply between rich and poor.

Yes I agree. I have two 23yr olds. Both at home. No partners. They should be out having the time of their lives now. Both work and saving hard but theirs no fun to be had. I feel sorry for their missed opportunities.

Its shit for everyone no matter what age this isn't some age war.

Society peddles this when your young go partonf, holiday whilst you can before you have kids becuae you knownojce you do life is over.

No it isn't. You might not go clubbing as often but you can still go.

Then when the young have spent their 20s spending all their money living this life society says they should be doing they suddenly complain they cant afford a house etc. How many threads we have people saying well least I had fun.

Fun doesn't stop just because you get married or have children.

Jesus

I go clubbing and know many who do who have children etc people of all ages from 30s up to 60s.

So I dont subscribe to this bs about young people have a shit time.

We are all having a shit time.

Those at the bottom of the ladder aren't worrying about missing going out partying at uni. They're dealing with the same issues they faced before the pandemic. Gang crime. Children stabbing children. A huge problem long before covid.

I’m 29 with young kids but was just thinking the other day how crap it must be for the late teens/early 20s age group. It occurred to me those who turned 18 at the start of lockdown over a year ago still won’t have managed to have a proper night out, even in the summer there was the 10pm curfews in bars and social distancing. I remember turning 18 and being out every single weekend for months, I’d just met my boyfriend (now DH!) and saw him all the time and was really beginning to enjoy having more of a life and independence despite living with parents. Can’t imagine how I’d have felt if this had happened back then.

@MobyDicksTinyCanoe

Tealights you're talking rubbish.

My mum was born in the 40s, she left school when she was 13 to work, and she spent a good deal of her youth going to dance halls, having holidays with her friends and going to concerts. She had the same sort of freedom young people today have.

I'm not sure if its a worldwide phenomenon or exclusive to MN but people seem to be incapable of believing that fun was available before the 70s (maybe 70s) the fact that the war actually allowed freedom (Especially for women) that was previously nearly impossible has passed many posters by.

everyone has suffered, but i've no doubt that older teens and younger adults have suffered the most - and they will continue to pay the price for a long time.

On the upside that would not have been in issue for me as i never did any of that stuff anyway. I'm sure I'm not the only one but yes I do agree with you OP.

@savethegrannies

The young have been treated like second class citizens from day one of this. Its a fucking disgrace. I've fallen out with a couple of baby boomers over this I dont mind admitting. They simply do not get it, they have nice comfy pensions which won't be touched when it comes to paying for all this, and all have been just continually moaning for everybody get the sodding vaccine so they can get on with their cruises. They can say what they sodding like, they would not have been so content to ensure we all 'stayed home and protected the NHS' if it was them losing their homes and jobs and if it was them who would be paying for all this in future. The tories have looked after thier core voters, we all know it. I mean they even kept the sodding garden centres open ffs. Here's another thing: why did teachers and other front line workers not get vaccined before people in thier 60s who were retired and who were not compelled to go out to keep a roof over their head? So, so unfair.

Very much this.

@Tealightsandd

Those at the bottom of the ladder aren't worrying about missing going out partying at uni. They're dealing with the same issues they faced before the pandemic. Gang crime. Children stabbing children. A huge problem long before covid.

How do you know this?

I know lots of people born in the 40s. The majority weren't out partying carelessly well into their 20s. They definitely didn't do university. They tended to be married with children by their early 20s.

The war also brought about huge social change and jobs both during we time and after for many decades. This pandemic will not do either one of those and will hit low earners and the young the hardest

This. Nothing is being done to redress the balance, or to address intergenerational inequalities. There is no big plan, like the new post-war social contract that saw the advent of the NHS and the welfare state. As we now emerge from the pandemic it’s basically an ‘as you were’ from the government, except so much has changed and the political and economic landscape looks completely different.

I think a few posters here have forgotten what being 20 is.

It really doesn't help that everyone talks about a lost generation. I've seen it from all angles - dad is 92and hasn't seen his wife who is 95 for well over a year now. Realistically they won't see each other again. He was adamant he wanted to return to UK from France so my dh went to get him the week before lockdown a year ago from the S of France. Dh did try to talk to them both about both coming/both staying. I've seen my dad age so much over that time.

But dd2 struggled with her Masters as her serious eyesight issues couldn'tbe sorted. DD1 and her bf were both working from home in a rented first floor 1 bed in E London. They've now bought/moved and much better. I'm lucky - older 3 and partners all working (middle ones getting jobs in lockdown) and youngest is y12. Her school have been amazing. But it's so so hard for them. Yes dad says it's worse than the war, Just shit for everyone really x

I feel the teenagers and young adults have really suffered disproportionately more . They have given up freedom and have been confined to home when actually they probably could have mixed. The old and vulnerable have been protected but as a country we should have let life continued fir everyone else.