How two years of Covid impacted the UK’s youth

Between late February and early March, we surveyed young people aged 14 to 23 across the UK. Reaching out via our social media, university and college students’ associations, our team’s personal networks and the wider FACE family, we asked a series of questions relating to the period of the pandemic. Many thanks to the 314 respondents for being so honest and open with your answers, and for the pictures you submitted that summed up your experiences of the past two years. We’ll be contacting the 20 winners of our special FACE packages. Right now, read on for a breakdown of the stats, facts, quotes and images of your lockdown bedrooms and knitting projects. Warning: may contain Tiger King.

53 per cent of respondents believe that the pandemic has had a negative or very negative impact on their future. This was most keenly felt by those entering adulthood, with people aged 21 – 23 making up 41.1 per cent of this figure, while 18 – 20-year-olds make up 30.1 per cent.

But that doesn’t mean secondary school students aren’t worried about their futures either: 28.8 per cent of 14 – 17-year-olds also felt their prospects had been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

Stop and start lockdowns, rigorous yet inconsistent rules, prolonged isolation and a constant barrage of tragedy in the news. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognise that all of this wreaked havoc on the nation’s mental health.

And younger generations have been hit particularly hard by this mental health epidemic. 76.1 per cent of all respondents felt that the pandemic had a negative or very negative impact on their mental health. Again, it was the older age groups who seemed to be most affected; of those who felt this, 35.5 per cent were aged 18 – 21, while 36.9 per cent were aged 21 – 23.

When Covid restrictions finally lifted last summer, it seemed like people were divided into two camps. There were those who were raring to get back out socialising; others noticed that months of isolation had made them more anxious, as FOMO transformed into FOGO.

So, we asked our respondents how sociable they’ve been feeling since the return to normal-ish and it turns out that you’ve been feeling the FOGO, too.

But the pandemic impacted young people’s social lives in different ways. When asked how the pandemic affected their relationships, a recurring theme among many respondents was that prolonged periods of isolation had contributed to increased feelings of anxiety, paranoia and overthinking in relationships. As 18-year-old Beth put it, ​“I now over analyse every aspect of every relationship, rather than seeing it for what it is and simply enjoying it.”

Many respondents also reported experiencing fatigue as they’ve attempted to rekindle friendships. Put simply, young people’s social batteries are drained. For some, this manifests as an inability to handle prolonged periods of social interaction. For others, such as 16-year-old Jaylee, it feels as though ​“I don’t know how to hold a conversation with someone in person after being online and seeing very few people for so long.”

It’s not all bad, though. An overwhelming number of respondents say that, despite hardships, the pandemic has given them more space for self-reflection, in turn helping them establish their identities and core values.

And as lots of young people suddenly had no one to hang out with but their families during lockdowns, they’ve also found a renewed and more meaningful appreciation for their parents, siblings, grandparents, you name it. ​“I learnt that life is precious when I lost my grandpa during the pandemic,” says 15-year-old Lydia. ​“It made me really thankful for the time I have with my family.”

The UK’s youth are a creative lot. When faced with hours of solitude, you sought out new creative outlets, picked up new hobbies and skills, and rekindled forgotten passions from your childhoods.

There was the usual stuff – baking, reading, Chloe Ting workouts, embracing the great outdoors. But a DIY attitude prevailed, whether respondents were making music from their bedrooms or their own clothes. People just do nothing? Pfft.

Image submitted by Amy, 22

More than 10 per cent of survey respondents picked up knitting or crochet (or both) during lockdowns. That’s a lot of woolly jumpers…

Some of you clever lot decided to pick up a new language, with everything from French to Korean on the extra-curriculum.

We all needed something to take the edge off lockdowns, right? From the TV shows you binged to the foods you turned to for comfort, here’s what has gotten you through the past two years.

With nothing to do but Netflix and (actually) chill, you guys monstered your way through TV shows, lapping up everything from Homes Under the Hammer to Real Housewives. Some of you returned to classics for comfort – Seinfeld, Grey’s Anatomy, Peep Show, Gilmore Girls – while others opted to while away the hours in front of lockdown phenomenons Tiger King, Normal People and Bridgerton. Either way, you’re all more the prepped to ace the TV round at your next pub quiz.

For a lot of you – us – Covid has been a time of timelessness.

“I fear that I’ve missed out on so many of the traditional ​‘coming of age’ events,” said Ella, 17. ​“I feel a bit emotionally stunted. I was 15 when the pandemic began and now I’m about to be an adult. In a few months, I’m moving out of my town and into a big city all on my own. But I feel like I haven’t existed in the real world for long enough. I still feel like a child trying to navigate everything.”

Ella wasn’t alone in viewing this as the most difficult aspect of the last two years. For Liam, who was also 15 when Covid struck, now ​“I suddenly have to realise I’m now a 17-year-old with far more responsibilities and pressures.”

In many respondees’ experiences, it was their education that took the biggest hit. ​“A year of online teaching and spending 21k a year on it,” noted 21-year-old Mohamad. For Riley, 14, the biggest pain was a no-brainer: ​“Google Classroom.”

Then, for others, the losses were more intimate, more personal, more galling.

“I had my first kiss last week and it was shit,” said 16-year-old Cecily. ​“I mean the pandemic gave me so much time to think and fantasise about growing up. Now that I have to go through these things, I am disappointed that it’s not what I imagined.”

Below are some of the other challenges you faced:

Say it again: it wasn’t all bad. Some people reported improvements in their mental health and fitness, mastered new skills and built new relationships. Some launched magazines, learned to skateboard, how to cook, fell in love. ​“I ended up having one of the best years of my life,” said Izzi, 19.

Many found that they grew closer to their families. For 14-year-old Lucy, ​“the best thing I brought out of it is my relationship with my mum. Before we’d never talk and now I can talk to her like a friend.” Another positive was an appreciation for the NHS, and health in general. As Zoe, 22, wrote: ​“I’m still alive.”

One common theme was people working out what was important to them, whether that meant moving out of the city for a slower pace of life, quitting unhappy jobs or embracing their sexual identity. ​“I have come out as non-binary and now feel like myself,” said 22-year-old Denise.

And in fact, some of our responders are nostalgic for lockdown. ​“An introvert’s paradise, I miss it immensely,” said Sarah, 23.

Below are some of the other positives you described.