Feeling connected during COVID-19: Gen Z Speaks Out
Different generations are dealing with COVID-19 in different ways. A weekly survey is being conducted by DoSomething.org members to gauge how Gen Z is handling the crisis. With over 8,000 responses to date, it’s clear young people, between the ages of 7 and 22 across the country are feeling the impact deeply.
“Although Gen Z covers a large age span, there are commonalities in what they are feeling, including concern about the virus, an interest in learning more about COVID-19, sadness and frustration, which can stem from not being able to attend school, socialize, and missing big milestones in their young lives,” said Jillian Young, MA, LPC, ACS, Program Director, School Based Clinical Services, Intensive In-Community Services, Acenda. “What is positive is that they are feeling a sense of hope for the future once things get back to normal.”
Click here for 6 tips that disappointed high school seniors can follow to make this time a little easier.
Here are key highlights from the DoSomething.org survey dated April 1, 2020:
- A feeling of disconnection has grown 8 percentage points—from 40% three weeks ago to 48% this week.
- 91% of Gen Z are concerned about the coronavirus outbreak, with 40% sharing they are very concerned — up from 34% three weeks ago.
- Most used apps are TikTok & YouTube (watching videos of people you do not know).
- The least used 2 apps are Zoom & Facetime, which are both apps that connect you with friends and loved ones. It is interesting to note that these are the two least commonly used platforms because that could be a contributing factor to the increased feeling of disconnect.
- The majority — 51% — spend at least 1 hour/day consuming COVID-19 content.
- “Frustrated” is still the top response to how young people are feeling (63%), up 9 percentage points from March 18th. However, the biggest jump has been feeling sad: 55% shared they were feeling this way, up from 33% three weeks ago.
- 35% share they feel “hopeful”, up from 28% three weeks ago. Many of those who express hopefulness say that not only will we get to the other side of this, but that we will come out better.
Gen Zs will have gained a new appreciation for family and friends and will aim to connect on a more personal level as opposed to social devices. While this has been a time for reflection for Gen Zs and all generations, there may be some individuals who have found themselves depressed and anxious because of the situation.
If you or a loved one need more help, our clinicians are available to help during this uncertain time via our telehealth services. Call our main number at 844-4-ACENDA (844-422-3632) for more information.
Source:
DoSomething.org