Young people eating more junk food and exercising less in lockdown

Young people are eating more junk food, feeling more anxious, and have concerns about their education since lockdown. File Picture.

Life during lockdown for teenagers has meant mixed feelings, more junk food, and overwhelming concern for their education and others, according to a new report.

Some 218 young people aged between 12 and 18 contributed to Life in Lockdown 2020, with 53% saying they had been eating more junk food and sweets and 37% exercising less often.

The research, carried out by Dublin City North and Dublin City South Children and Young People’s Services Committees, with Dublin City Comhairle na nÓg, also found that 69% worried that their learning had been affected by the school closures at the start of the pandemic.

Lockdown also brought out mixed feelings: 95% said they were sad some or most of the time, and 73% said they were nervous and sometimes felt lonely, but 96% also said they felt happy at other times.

As to their feelings for others, 95% said they were worried about someone else's health due to Covid-19.

Regarding ways to help them deal with their difficulties, the young people in the survey said information and access to counselling (online and face to face) and mental health workshops in schools and more sports, exercise, and outdoor activities would benefit them.

While 91% of those surveyed had a mobile phone, just 47% said they had a quiet space in their home where they could learn.

More than half of the young people spoken with said they were worried about money as a result of the pandemic and a similar percentage said their parents' jobs had been affected by the outbreak.

Two-thirds said they are seeing their friends less often since the pandemic began here, with just over half meeting people outdoors and 28% meeting people online.

In addition to missing out on regular activities, 68% said they felt young people were portrayed unfairly in the media.

The majority of young people reported feeling safe in their community since the Covid-19 pandemic, with only 9.4% reporting feeling unsafe. More than half of young people are getting most of their information about Covid-19 from social media, with more girls getting information from social media than boys.

"The most significant impacts have been in the areas of mental health and wellbeing, education and learning and staying connected with friends," said the report. "There were also some significant gender differences in relation to the way young people are being affected by Covid-19, with girls being adversely affected more than boys. The research also identified additional supports and services that are now needed to respond to these impacts on young people.

"The study’s findings indicate that education and learning is another key area in which young people were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The majority of young people are worried their learning has been adversely affected by school closures during the pandemic and only one third of young people were happy with how their schools and teachers helped them when schools were closed."

Fantastic research by Dublin City North and South @CypscIrl following consultation with young people on the impact of #COVID19 on their lives

95% are worried or very worried about someone else’s health due to Covid-19 - They care

Full report here: https://t.co/3yie4sB8te pic.twitter.com/hhbXGgSuy2

— Mark Smyth (@psychpolis) October 1, 2020

The report makes a string of recommendations, including that teachers should provide one-to-one learning supports for students who need them and that schools should consider providing extra classes and grinds for students in exam years to catch up with the curriculum.

It also said the Government needs to provide information on the pandemic and its response in a way that can be understood by young people and that the Government should continue to support parents/guardians and young people who were working before the pandemic with Covid-19 social welfare payments.