WHEN we speak about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we tend to see it as adults would and how it affects us as adults.
The loss of income, isolation and health problems should we get infected; these are real-world problems, of course.
Yet, we tend to forget that these are also concerns that are shared by our youths. Our youths have problems of their own, which are of no less concern. Unemployment among recent graduates, housing affordability, Internet connectivity and relations between the young and the old are among the problems they face.
Basically, these are the same problems adults face. Yet, these same problems may actually have a greater impact on youths. They could prove damaging to not just their lives and wellbeing, but their futures as well. The pandemic has brought about societal shifts that will have consequences in the future.
One of the biggest of these is that our young are forced to learn remotely. When the pandemic first forced schools to close last year, many schoolchildren may have rejoiced. The reality, they may know now, is that they are missing out because they had to do remote learning.
Schooling should be a holistic experience, from learning lessons to sports and social interaction.
Now,they get only the first part of that equation.
Then there is the digital divide, which has now become more apparent. If before, having computers, smartphones and tablets was a luxury, now they are a necessity.
Sadly, it is not something all can afford. There have been reports that at least half of the students locked out of schools cannot access online learning.
Globally, studies have shown that 70 per cent of youths have had their education disrupted by the pandemic. With everything under lockdown, the younger generation might feel somewhat claustrophobic.
Some are safe and secure in their home environments, but what about others? Recently, we were told that Talian Kasih received 902 domestic violence reports in the first four months of the year. The vast majority, we assume, were from women, but were there any children or youths among them?
Being in close quarters for long periods of time can make tempers flare. An International Labour Organisation (ILO) study recently indicated that one in six young people have stopped working since the onset of the pandemic.
It says their talent and energy is being sidelined by a lack of opportunity or skills and this will damage their futures and ours, making it more difficult to rebuild the world post-Covid-19.
The ILO report calls for urgent, large-scale and targeted policy responses to protect a whole generation of young people from having their employment prospects permanently scarred by the crisis. Is there a panacea for youth concerns?
How can we allay their fears? This is where #Undi18 can play a role. The older generation may think they know best because of experience and this is generally true.
However, there are some things only youths would know best. #Undi18 gives them a platform to ensure their voices are heard.
It gives them a say in decision making, to articulate their needs and ideas, so that policies and programmes that are implemented can serve them better.