How covid has impacted young people
We asked young people who visit Space how the pandemic has impacted their lives, and what they hope to happen next.
Young people have been enormously affected by covid - disrupting school, socialising, family life and mental health. We asked young people to share their experiences of the pandemic, and what they are looking forward to in the future. Despite the huge challenges they have faced, we found there was a lot to learn from the impressive way these young people have adapted, overcome, persisted, and looked for positives. Huge thanks to everyone who participated.
If you are a young person you can find lots of covid and mental health information and resources in our Cancel Covid Toolkit, supporting you through what can be a difficult and isolating time. You are not alone.
This project was part of a wider public health campaign helping support young people in Devon during the pandemic with information and resources. It was made possible by the Devon County Council Covid Containment Fund.
Young people told us that getting covid and isolating has been really tough, but taking simple measure like hand sanitising gives us all a good chance of not catching or spreading it.
It's important to remember that other people might have more stress than us about the pandemic - and that even just washing our hands keeps us and them more safe.
Spending time with extended family, and for things to be safe enough to meet with vulnerable family members is really important.
These young people said that looking after wellbeing and mental health is hugely important. Take care of yourself and reach out for help.
Looking forward to seeing friends more easily and going on holiday really matters after a tough two years.
It was hard not to see friends and family. And catching it definitely wasn't fun. But moving forwards we can get back to normal faster by being cautious. As one young person puts it here 'we must find old joys and mix them in with new joys' - what a lovely way to put it.
Not being able to see anyone you love has been really hard, and catching covid has been scary. For these young people it has felt really important to follow the guidelines and wash hands, wear a mask and take care. It's a lot of pressure, but there's lots to look forward to as well as the restrictions begin to lift.
The pandemic had a huge impact on secondary school exams, even changing young peoples' plans for the future. With some things returning to normal, young people can look forward to making it to university, and to going back to old hobbies.