Generation Covid – How will the Pandemic Shape our Futures?

Being ascribed to a generational demographic and unfavourable stereotypes it entails has always been an unsettling concept. I never identified with the ‘Gen Z’ archetype but it’s certainly preferable to ‘Generation Covid’, the inescapable term newly assigned to young adults and adolescents growing up in the confines of this pandemic.  

For the young, this virus will haunt us long after its eradication. Throughout our professional lives, we’ll forevermore be identified as that Covid cohort. Already, our jobs, earnings, and academic experiences have been unfairly disadvantaged by the pandemic. While you can rest assured we’ll brush it off with a heavy dose of sarcastic memes and sardonic Tiktok trends, the bottom line is our futures are in jeopardy.

Fears of the long-term effects on our futures – which, by the way, were already looking pretty grim thanks to climate change, ever-rising house prices, and increasingly competitive industries – are taking a hold on many of us. Owing to the influence of social media and the underlying trepidation of growing up in our current climate, many of us ‘snowflakes’ have battled with mental health conditions long before Covid-19. But now we have even more cause for concern. According to a Covid social study conducted by UCL, three-quarters of young adults feel worried about future plans.

“Rather than act as a leveller, the pandemic has in fact revealed disproportionate inequalities, especially within deprived and marginalised groups.”

The correlation between the impact on the livelihoods of younger generations and the ever increasing mental health crisis amongst this age group comes as no surprise. Contrary to the most popular idiom of 2020, we’re not actually all in the same boat. Rather than act as a leveller, this pandemic has in fact revealed disproportionate inequalities, especially within deprived and marginalised groups. One place we’ve seen this discrimination is within age groups. According to BBC Panorama, people aged 16-25 were more than twice as likely to lose their job compared to their older counterparts.

The missed academic opportunities contribute to the same pessimistic narrative. Gaining practical work experience has gone from near impossible, to literally impossible. In addition, university teaching, networking events, panels, and conferences have all moved online, but the substitute is no match to that which would have been achieved face-to-face. In a world where experience and demonstration of commitment are prerequisites to progress, we’ve reached an impasse.

#MentalHealth: “Anxiety and depression are following a remarkably similar curve to Covid-19 cases” – Rappaport Foundation (@RappFoundation) December 17, 2020

But the fundamental sacrifices to our everyday lives have been some of the hardest. Humans are social animals. This year loneliness has spiked as a result of lockdown and social distancing. According to the Mental Health Foundation, young people aged 18-24 were most likely to experience loneliness as a result of the strict restrictions. This was predominantly because of the immediate withdrawal from our usual busy social lives. Since March, we’ve all had to bid farewell to big birthday celebrations, club nights, festivals, and most forms of fun.

“A survey by Prospects on the effect of Covid-19 on graduate recruitment showed that an astonishing 83% lost their job or work placement, or had an offer deferred or cancelled.”

Last year’s graduates have been the worst hit. After years of gruelling hard work to earn their degree, they were robbed of one of the most memorable milestone events – a graduation ceremony. Worse still, they’ve entered (or at least attempted to enter) the professional world of work during a global recession. A survey by Prospects on the effect of Covid-19 on graduate recruitment showed that an astonishing 83% lost their job or work placement or had an offer deferred or cancelled.

This year, grads are eager to resist meeting the same end. No one wants to graduate when the economy is dire straits (unless perhaps you studied economy and specialise in recessions, in which case, congrats). As a result, it’s expected that applications for postgraduate study will rise. The number of people completing postgraduate degrees has been consistently rising in recent years as job opportunities diminish and the demand for qualified professionals in an evermore competitive industry continues to increase.

This year, there is the added factor of students hoping to prolong a university experience which has thus far been so heavily compromised. Following industrial action in 2019, UCU held another 14-day strike period in February this year, spanning 4 consecutive weeks. Whilst I sympathise with their motivations, there’s no denying the disruption it caused; within those four weeks I only had two seminars. Just as I was looking forward to teaching resuming, Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown.

“Making up for lost time and reuniting with friends is definitely first on a lot of people’s agenda.”

Whilst the pandemic has led a lot of us to become more career focused, I have an inkling that once restrictions lift and clubs reopen, some will veer off the rails. With fresh hopes of the vaccine, I asked some final year students what their plans would be once restrictions finally ease and venues reopen.

Joe, a final year English student, said he’s eager to return to student night life but he does have some concerns: “I was anxious about the virus at the Nottingham Christmas market which recently closed down because it was so busy. I’m not sure if that anxiety will persist once Covid is no longer a threat though…I’ll probably be more stressed about my level of work going down because I’ve been really productive without the distraction of nights out.”

Arrun, another final year student, bluntly admitted: “I will definitely go on a massive bender, no holds barred.”

Making up for lost time and reuniting with friends is definitely first on a lot of people’s agenda and what better way to do it than a sesh? But not everyone shares the same optimism about restrictions easing.

A female student said she was worried about getting used to nights out: “I’ve become so used to social distancing and avoiding any risks that the thought of being crammed in a room teeming with people is really anxiety inducing. I’ve struggled with panic attacks in the past and the idea of being so close to so many drunk people after being isolated for so long is horrible. It’s going to be really hard.”

Whether we become Gatsby style hedonists or whether the adjustment proves even more enduring on our mental health, some form of fallout is guaranteed. But what might the long-term effects be? A more driven and resilient cohort of professionals, debauched pleasure-seekers, or solitary introverts? I suspect we might all be making up for lost time with the onset of a mid-life crisis, but only time will tell.

Lilith Hudson 

Featured image courtesy of Alliance for Excellent Education on Flickr. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.