Youth in pandemic: I have felt my mental health spiraling down the drain - Youth Journalism International youthjournalism.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from youthjournalism.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Many youth kept or started exercise routines in the pandemic
December 31, 2020
A bicyclist rides along the Charles River in Boston. (Katrina Machetta/YJI)
The worldwide pandemic may have put certain activities on hold, but for some youth, daily exercise has continued.
Parnian Shahsavary/YJI
Exercise has always been part of a regular routine for some people, but others have taken the bonus time from quarantine to incorporate a workout into their lifestyle.
Binnet Roberts, 22, a student at the University of The Gambia, said she is making an extra effort to maintain her weight during the covid-19 pandemic.
Maryam Azimpour, an 18-year-old student athlete in Tehran, Iran, said exercise is crucial.
Social media is crucial when social distancing
December 31, 2020
Salma Amrou/YJI
As the disruptions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic swept across the world, young people adapted the ways they stay in touch with their friends and family.
In interviews with Youth Journalism International reporters, more than 50
youth on six continents talked about using social media to maintain relationships in the era of social distancing.
In Bojnurd, Iran, Sanya Zardkanlu, 21, said she is spending more time with her family and staying in touch with relatives and friends using social media. The whole experience makes her appreciate things more than she used to, Zardkanlu said.
Grafitti in Istanbul. (Bilge Nur Guven/YJI)
Spending their lives in repetitive confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic, young people the world over said they are struggling with loneliness, worry, sadness, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
In a wide-ranging series of interviews with Youth Journalism International reporters, 56 young people from 18 countries discussed the impact of the pandemic and quarantine.
“I have felt my mental health spiraling down the drain,” said Riddhi Goenka, 19, of Kolkata, India. The news gives her anxiety and there are problems at college and issues with her family, she said, adding that she tries to talk with friends but feels that no one understands the heaviness of her thoughts.
Many youth following news of covid, others carefully avoid it
December 31, 2020
Few things shape a young person’s view of the covid-19 pandemic more than the media.
While news coverage causes stress and anxiety in some, others said they found it beneficial to stay up to date.
In wide ranging interviews with Youth Journalism International, young people from around the globe shared their approach to keeping up with news about the coronavirus pandemic.
While some said they are not staying up to date with the news due to the detrimental effect it has on their mental health, others sought to stay informed.