2. The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the wellbeing of young people
2.1 Policies and restrictions: their impact on the youth and leisure sector
The policies and restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic varied significantly across and within countries. Some countries or areas relied more on recommendations than restrictions. Areas with relatively small populations were able to restrict travel more easily and contain the virus, whereas larger, densely populated areas experienced higher infection rates and implemented stricter regulations.
Schools and formal education prioritised
Throughout the epidemic, the governments of the Nordic countries prioritised keeping education and formal learning open for children and young people. As a matter of fact, several interviewees in our study regret the fact that the focus was ‘entirely on keeping schools open’.
It was widely accepted that the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 through on-site education increased with age. Thus, high schools (for 16–20-year-olds) were mostly closed and teaching was delivered remotely through digital platforms, while educational institutions for children and young people under 16 were largely operational. University-level education was entirely digitalised.
Among the Nordic and European countries, Sweden distinguished itself by implementing the least stringent policy measures. However, students in Sweden were also engaged in distance learning for extended periods, and public spaces and activities were restricted through recommendations that were largely adhered to. Denmark, Finland, and Norway experienced more lockdowns and longer periods of distance learning, even for younger students. Although innovative digital pedagogies were developed, the quality of teaching varied considerably. (Nøkleby et al., 2022)
Shrinking space in the leisure and youth sector
The leisure and youth sector was significantly affected by the crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the most immediate and widespread challenges facing the youth and leisure sector was the closure of indoor sports facilities, gyms, and swimming pools. This was a widespread measure in the Nordic countries, particularly during the initial phases of the pandemic. In most places, also youth centres were completely shut down. Several informants questioned the lack of tailored restrictions and closures, which would have enabled a larger part of the leisure sector to remain open for as long as possible.
One out of several similar statements made by interviewees:
‘The restrictions were enforced in a “one-size-fits-all” manner without taking into account the potential for specific adaptations. This made it difficult for the leisure and youth sector to adapt and even more challenging to innovate.’
The impact on various venues and activities differed greatly. The prohibition of contact sports meant that most traditional team sports could not be practised, and group training sessions could not be held. Competitions and summer camps were not permitted, either. Outdoor meetings were also occasionally prohibited.
Ever-changing restrictions and uncertainty
The ever-changing restrictions and recommendations, coupled with the urgency of the situation, led to confusion and uncertainty among leisure providers regarding the implementation of government regulations and advice. Local authorities generally interpreted the government provisions conservatively to avoid taking risks. As one informant from a youth work umbrella organisation explained:
‘A general fear of making mistakes and causing harm to young people and their families led many municipalities to choose closure over risk, even when we offered guidelines on how to run youth centres in accordance with the restrictions.’
Leisure and youth organisations also describe how the uncertainty had led them to cancel activities that may not have needed to be cancelled. One of the interviewees said:
‘We found ourselves in a situation where we should have pushed the boundaries of the regulations to the maximum extent possible to benefit young people, but instead we capitulated.’
The constant changes in regulation also posed a challenge. Having to prepare for an activity or project that was later cancelled discouraged innovation. Several informants, particularly those representing youth organisations, said that motivation started to fade as the pandemic continued for a prolonged period. The Danish Youth Council (DUF) post-pandemic membership survey revealed that the main reason for losing motivation (as stated by 77% of respondents) were long periods of postponed activities, which often resulted in inertia.
Mounting pressure facing the leisure sector
Organisations in the leisure sector faced multiple challenges, particularly due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Smaller associations with few or no employees, in particular, found it difficult to cope with additional demands, including adapting activities, supporting volunteers, completing grant applications, conducting risk assessments, and looking for alternative venues.
Many volunteers lost motivation and some chose to pause their engagement. One interviewee said:
‘With volunteers unable to meet in person, it was difficult to maintain their motivation or a sense of community, not to mention offering innovative alternatives to physical activities.’
Hobby organisations lost income from sources such as rent, market stalls, and ticket sales. At the same time, costs increased due to adaptations and skills development needs.
The public sector made efforts to keep these organisations afloat. Support strategies such as sustained grants throughout the pandemic despite reduced activity levels, and reduced or exempted rents for venues, were of great importance. However, interviewees noted that little (if any) additional financial support was provided to enable the youth and leisure sector to (re-) organise activities. An interviewee of an organisation working with disabled young people said:
‘There were no resources available to take a proactive approach or implement funding-requiring adaptations.’
Funding schemes were not always designed to ensure the provision of youth leisure activities. For example, although the Swedish Sports Confederation received a substantial emergency support package, the majority of the funds were allocated to elite and adult sports to compensate for a decrease in income as opposed to supporting the provision of youth leisure on a local level.
Interviewees from other Nordic countries provided further examples of large organisations receiving funding, while smaller hobby and youth organisations were excluded from existing support structures (see, for instance, the National Sports Council of Finland, 2022).
Several informants stated that, in addition to financial assets, there was also a shortage of other resources such as suitable premises. For example, it was difficult to gain access to large indoor premises managed by municipalities, such as sports halls and schools. Youth centres, libraries, and cultural institutions were closed, and there was a lack of covered outdoor premises.
Lack of adequate contingency planning for the leisure sector
The pandemic exposed significant gaps in the Nordic youth and leisure sector’s contingency planning. Many interviewees said they were caught off guard, highlighting the lack of procedures for managing the outcomes of a crisis. Municipalities and youth organisations were largely unprepared and lacked the plans and skills necessary to continue activities or support resilience among young people. Indeed, many interviewees also indicated that the absence of sector-specific policies and/or policy briefings was one of the factors contributing to the negative implications for the leisure sector and, consequently, for young people. A lack of supportive strategies was also evident, with a few exceptions. As a Norwegian expert informant stated:
‘No policies or strategies supporting the provision of leisure activities for young people were implemented. Not one.’
Over time, awareness of the negative consequences of social isolation on the well-being of young people increased in society and among policymakers. Participation in leisure activities was generally encouraged by the authorities in the Nordic region, and measures were taken to facilitate access to these activities. For example, rather than banning gatherings altogether, limitations were placed on the number of young people who could meet indoors or outdoors, and these limitations sometimes varied by age group. But the measures did not always result in expected outcomes.
For instance, limitations on group size put pressure on youth workers and other leisure providers that did not have leaders or venues for more groups. One of our informants, a youth worker in a remote Greenlandic village, reported:
‘The youth club is the only leisure hub in the area. It was heart breaking to see young people queuing, only to admit twenty of them per evening and deny so many others the opportunity to socialise with their peers and us youth workers.’
According to several informants who are well familiar with the policy-making process, the consequences of the restrictions were not properly analysed.
For example, while young people under the age of 16 were permitted to meet in person, adults and older youths were not allowed to be present. This prevented youth volunteers, coaches, and supportive adults from implementing the activities. There was also a lack of analysis of the consequences for groups of young people who had fewer opportunities. For instance, pre-registration was introduced, which made it more difficult for young people to access leisure activities and spaces, and excluded certain groups from participating.
Several informants and respondents, particularly young people and representatives of youth umbrella organisations, indicated that young people and their perspective were inadequately represented in decision-making processes. Young people were also rarely included in policy development processes or the adaptation of measures and activities. Chapters 3 and 4 of our report discuss the consequences of this exclusion and suggest improvements ahead of the next crisis.
Gaps between expectations and reality
A lack of preparation hindered effective crisis communication, resulting in an expectation gap. One of our interviewees gave the example of parents publicly ‘shaming’ a cultural organisation for only allowing one parent or family member to attend performances due to health and safety concerns during the pandemic. Similarly, music teachers were expected to ‘continue as usual’, even though they were not allowed to use indoor venues. An interviewee stated:
‘Most pupils don’t have a drum kit at home, so you can’t really do that exercise online. It’s also impossible to play the flute outside in sub-zero temperatures.’
The local authorities expected the municipal youth service to continue offering activities for young people and to adapt its methods as necessary. However, this was not the case. With group size limits and an increase in digital and detached youth work, which has a more individualised focus on support and counselling, more human resources were needed to reach and support young people. Rather than maintaining or increasing staffing levels, the authorities would reallocate important resources from the youth and leisure sector. Informants reported that it was challenging when some youth workers were made redundant while others were redeployed as substitute teachers or to help prevent the spread of the virus in schools.
2.2 Policies and restrictions: Their implications for young people
Young people’s access to leisure during the pandemic varied depending on economic resources, social networks, geography, and the availability of activities under restrictions. For over two years, these restrictions significantly limited opportunities for social interaction outside the home.
The drastically reduced access to leisure had a particularly negative impact on adolescents and young adults (aged approximately 16–20). This age is when young people distance themselves from their families and friends become increasingly important sources of support. The age group experienced social isolation through home schooling and stricter restrictions on leisure activities than their younger peers. Students living far from home (e.g., those attending high school in a different town or city) and those who were new to an area or school were particularly affected by isolation, as they lacked a social context. (Nyyssölä & Manner, 2023; Christiansen, Qualter & Friis, 2021)
The pause in leisure activities meant that many in this age group missed out on progressing from hobby participation to volunteering for an organisation. This resulted in fewer volunteers in hobby and youth organisations, as well as a loss of resilience factors for the young people in question.
The distress and lack of clarity surrounding the pandemic and its infection control regulations led some parents to stop their children or young relatives from travelling, visiting public spaces, or socialising with friends. This situation was exacerbated by uncertainty surrounding the implications of restrictions and adaptations to leisure activities, as well as security measures within the leisure sector. This resulted in further limitations on socialisation and increased isolation, particularly among certain youth groups, such as those who were at risk themselves or who had family members who were.
The threshold for participation was raised in several respects. For example, constantly changing and unpredictable restrictions resulted in irregular activities and scarce or conflicting information about whether activities were going to take place. Limitations on numbers meant that pre-registration was required, sometimes with parental consent. Digitalisation resulted in a loss of physical social interaction with friends, youth leaders, and wider society as a motivating factor for participation. The opportunity to participate in or organise spontaneous sports activities, take part in activities with a low barrier to entry for unorganised youth, attend low-cost summer camps or visit ‘open’ youth centres remained unavailable for a long time.
2.3 Uneven impact on the well-being among different groups of youth
The effects of the pandemic on leisure were significantly unequal for different groups of young people. Groups who faced greater barriers to participation prior to the pandemic were disproportionately impacted, with low-threshold participation opportunities disappearing. Prior to the pandemic, leisure activities had a particularly positive impact on the well-being of certain groups exposed to social isolation. Consequently, they suffered greater losses when access was denied during the pandemic.
Groups adversely affected include young people from financially disadvantaged families, those living in overcrowded households, those living in households affected by mental illness, cognitive disabilities, abuse, violence or crime, and young migrants whose native language is not Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish. Other particularly affected groups, as mentioned in the literature and by interviewees, include girls and young women (see for instance: Kozák, Bakken & von Soest Tilmann, 2023) , LGBTQIA+ youth (see, for instance: Malmquist et al., 2023 and Sampogna et al., 2021) , and young people with disabilities (see for instance: Kämppi, Asunta & Tammelin, 2022). The consequences for young people in these groups will be presented below.
A Norwegian study using data collected from a survey answered by 500,000 secondary school pupils shows a clear correlation between young people’s leisure habits, their overall well-being, and their social background.
Young people with fewer socioeconomic opportunities
The partial or complete closure of low-threshold, low-cost and/or free leisure activities at youth clubs, ever-changing conditions, pre-registration, and digitalisation had a particularly negative impact on young people from less socio-economically privileged backgrounds.
For children and young people in this group, the closure of leisure activities resulted in involuntary isolation and an increase in psychological stress. (Norwegian Social Research, Youth Research Group NOVA,Nova 2021). According to informants, this group has a particularly low participation rate in hobby organisations and was therefore particularly affected by the closure of youth clubs and other low-threshold activities or spaces.
Larger cities and/or metropolitan areas, especially those less socio-economically privileged populations had higher infection rates and therefore stricter rules. This resulted in even poorer access to youth centres and easily accessible activities than in other areas.
As several low-cost or free leisure activities closed and family breadwinners were negatively affected by layoffs and suspensions, some did not have the economic resources to pay for their children’s and other young family members’ participation in sports and hobbies.
Several hobby organisations started charging, or increased the fee, for leisure activities (such as bike tracks and adventure parks) that were previously offered for free or at a reduced price. (Save the Children Sweden, 2021)
When municipal sports and swimming facilities shut down, young people from more affluent backgrounds could turn to private, profit-driven sports companies to continue enjoying leisure activities (Riksidrottsförbundet, 2021). This was an opportunity denied to those without the necessary economic means. One interviewee from Greenland said:
‘We rarely talk about it, but there is a significant disparity between advantaged and disadvantaged families in our society. In fact, I would even say that some people are poor. During the pandemic, it became clear that children and young people who usually benefited from free access to the municipal swimming pool suffered from isolation when it closed.’
Free opportunities for un- or semi-structured leisure, such as youth centres, cafés, and shopping centre benches, were also removed. This resulted in an adverse effect, whereby resource-strong youth could meet in cafés, while those with little or no money had nothing to do. (Kauppinen & Laine, 2022)
During times of crisis and insecurity, it is particularly important that young people have access to parental and family support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this support was less readily available to families with fewer socioeconomic opportunities, as it was a time of anxiety, stress, job losses, and economic challenges. Additionally, as physical leisure activities were replaced by digital alternatives, some young people lacked the necessary resources to practise their hobby online, such as digital equipment, guidance, programmes, space, or the required knowledge. This had an unequal impact on their well-being.
The closure of safe leisure facilities, such as youth clubs, left young people living in risky environments vulnerable. Some of these young people returned to negative environments and/or reconnected with old friends or abusive adults. (Save the Children Sweden, 2022)
Overcrowded households
Overcrowding posed challenges for young people and their families during the pandemic as adults, children, and young family members spent more time at home.
According to statistics from 2021, Sweden had the highest rate – 16% of the population – living in overcrowded conditions among the Nordic countries.
Sweden is followed by Denmark and Iceland (10%), Finland (8%), and Norway, 6% of the population. Overcrowding (and housing shortage) has also been indicated as a challenge by interviewees from Greenland and confirmed by statistics.
Areas with a higher proportion of overcrowded households were subject to stricter restrictions, as denser living conditions posed a greater risk of contagion. This resulted in fewer opportunities to leave home and limited privacy even further. Without a room of one’s own, participating in digital leisure activities such as dance classes also became more challenging.
High-risk home environments
Severe restrictions, including lockdowns and working from home, exacerbated existing tensions within vulnerable households.
Several studies and reports; Øverlien (2020); Trolldal et al. (2025); Nesset et al. (2021); Bonsaken et al. (2021) confirm that problems such as alcohol and drug abuse, as well as family violence, worsened during the pandemic in the Nordics. In Denmark, for example, there were reports of increased pressure on women’s crisis centres after schools and workplaces closed. In Norway, women from minority groups were identified as being particularly at risk of gender-based violence.
As described by one informant:
‘Many young people who experience violence or substance abuse at home spend most of their free time at the youth centre. When it closed, they were left with no place to withdraw and no one to talk to about sensitive issues.’
Immigrant and migrant families
Migrant families in Denmark and Sweden experience higher levels of overcrowding than traditional Danish and Swedish families. It can be assumed that this trend is similar in Finland and Norway. (Eriksen, J.O., 2020) Multigenerational living, which is also more common among migrant families, caused stress to young people who were worried about spreading the infection to older family members.
Generally, youth living in families where one or more members were considered at high risk to contract the infection, had to deal with worries, and carefully consider any participation in activities outside of their homes.
Another challenge was disseminating accurate and timely information during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that the authorities’ communication strategies were never tailored with any real effectiveness to reach the particular groups concerned. This contributed to confusion, the spread of misinformation, and a decline in health- and information literacy among migrants.
A lack of accessible language posed challenges, particularly for people with disabilities (see below) and people for whom one of the Nordic languages was not their native language. This included information on leisure activity restrictions and safety measures, as well as details of available activities and their conditions. (The Lancet Migration & Migration Health and Development Research Initiative, 2021; Lindberg et al., 2024; Nordiska ministerrådet, 2022b)
Girls and young women
The pandemic had a greater impact on the well-being of girls and young women than on that of boys and young men (Kozák et al., 2023). For example, a Finnish survey showed that 25% of the girls and 10% of the boys ‘felt lonely’ during the pandemic. (Nyyssölä & Manner, 2023). In a Swedish study from 2022 on mental health among young people aged 16–29, the proportion of young women suffering from ‘severe mental distress’ was 22%. Among young men, the percentage was 11%. (Folkhälsomyndigheten, 2022)
Similarly, in an Icelandic piece of research, compared to boys, girls reported a greater negative impact across all broad indicators of well-being and behavioural change, and girls also scored higher on depressive symptoms than expected during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Halldorsdottir et al., 2021)
There are indications that girls had less access to leisure activities in real life during the pandemic, which deprived them to a greater extent of the protective factors of leisure. In a survey, UNICEF Sweden found that girls’ activities, such as dance and music, were cancelled or moved online, while boys’ sports activities, which allowed for physical distancing, continued outdoors. (UNICEF Sverige, 2020)
Women, who often act as carers, are more likely to reduce their working hours or leave the workforce altogether in order to look after children and relatives. In Finland, the unequal distribution of caring responsibilities between parents became apparent in spring 2020, when the responsibility for looking after young children shifted to the home. This often disproportionately affected young women and girls, potentially leaving them with less time for study or leisure activities. (Queisser, 2021)
Interviewed youth workers indicated how girls from strict families in migrant communities were hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 crisis. As well as having to cope with isolation, they were expected to take on a lot of responsibility at home.
Our findings also suggest that the digitalisation of leisure disadvantaged girls. The digitalisation of free time primarily means social media (characterised by competition and ‘non-live’ interaction) for girls and gaming (characterised by ‘live’ group interaction in chat rooms) for boys. Women and girls generally use social media more than men and boys across the Nordic realm.
A higher percentage of boys (81%) also stated that the people they play games with online are the same as those they meet in ‘real life’, compared to 43% of girls. (Leonhardt & Overå, 2021). Chapter 3 provides more information on the use of digitalisation as a tool to address the challenges posed by the pandemic.
A possible explanation to the fact that the well-being of girls was affected more by decreased access to leisure activities and spaces could be that their well-being depends more on socialising with friends in person. An indication of this is that the distancing measures resulted in 29% of girls, compared to 19% of boys, feeling highly isolated. To understand the dimension of the feeling of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, it should be noted that a further 29% of girls and 29% of boys reportedly felt isolated to some degree. (Bengtsson et al., 2021)
LGBTQIA+ youth
There is extensive evidence to suggest that LGBTQIA+ young people in the Nordic region were more likely to experience isolation and discrimination during the pandemic than other young people. The pandemic exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and created new challenges for this group. (RFSL, 2020)
Many young people from the LGBTQIA+ community were forced to isolate themselves in potentially unwelcoming and/or non-inclusive environments, which exacerbated their psychological distress. These individuals experienced symptoms of clinical depression, anxiety, worry, and heightened stress sensitivity.
School closures and social restrictions prevented many young LGBTQIA+ people from accessing the mental health services and support they needed. This was particularly true for those affected by family displacement, who relied on ‘chosen families’ or LGBTQIA+ communities for support.
LGBTQIA+ people in the Nordic region experienced significant online harassment, hatred, and violence, which led to severe psychological distress. Trans people in particular faced challenges such as longer waiting times for gender-affirming care during the pandemic. (Malmquist et al., 2023; Sampogna et al., 2021)
The LGBTQIA+ community often serves as an important support network in light of such challenges, but also as a safe space for exploring identity and sexuality. During lockdown, access to this community through the leisure sector was severely limited, which removed access to important resilience factors. (Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health – PMNCH, 2021; Green, Price-Feeney & Dorison, 2020)
One informant explained that meeting other LGBTQIA+ youth in your local area is vital so that they can see that: there are others like me, right here where I live. The interviewee added:
‘Moving to online, national platforms is not an optimal solution since it removes the local identification role of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as the personal support available to young people.’
Young people with disabilities
According to the 2022 Finland Report Card, 15–20% of children and young people have disabilities that make their everyday life more challenging. (Kämppi et al., 2022).
The impact of the pandemic on persons with disabilities has been described as ‘a triple jeopardy’. They experienced not only negative social consequences of the infection control measures, but also reduced access to essential health services, as well as an increased risk of severe outcomes from the COVID-19 infection itself. Moreover, studies show that young people with disabilities, as a group that is already experiencing isolation, felt a deeper sense of loneliness and longed for social contacts such as school and meetings with grandparents. They described life as boring and lonely. (Fäldt et al., 2022).
The pandemic exacerbated existing mental health issues, with the socio-psychological cost being particularly high for groups that were already less likely to participate. Children and adults with disabilities also experienced heightened anxiety and fear relating to the virus. (Klette-Bøhler et al., 2023) This affected their ability to enjoy leisure activities. As one interviewee mentioned:
‘Young people with mental health issues were the first to be affected by the pandemic. Of this we’re sure, since we collected data during the pandemic.’
Disability organisations are often diagnosis specific. They provide their members with knowledge about their condition, the opportunity to meet others facing similar challenges and life situations, and the chance to make friends and feel empowered. According to one informant, not providing this support, particularly during the early teenage years, can have serious consequences for these young people’s development, well-being, and life situation.
During the pandemic, many young people with disabilities were unable to access important information and services online due to inaccessible digital design and/or language barriers. This hindered their ability to participate in leisure activities. In Sweden, for instance, a lack of information in sign language and easy-to-read Swedish posed a significant risk to individuals with communication difficulties. (Lyngbäck et al., n.d.)
Some informants suggested that digitalisation had increased accessibility for certain young disabled people, evidenced by their increased participation. However, while this is an argument for the provision of digital leisure opportunities, it is unlikely that this positive effect outweighed the many negative implications referred to in this report.
2.4 Effects that linger
Five years after the outbreak of the pandemic, the situation regarding the participation of young people in organised and semi-organised leisure activities in the Nordic countries shows a mixed, but largely positive, picture of recovery and adaptation, alongside ongoing recognition of the pandemic’s impact.
Sweden has seen a remarkable increase in the number of young people participating in sports. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of occasions on which people participated in sports in Sweden increased by almost five million, reaching historic levels. Football, gymnastics, basketball, handball, and ice hockey experienced significant growth, with football’s ability to hold outdoor activities during the pandemic contributing to its continued increase.
At the same time, the young people who were lost during the pandemic did not return, and the consequences for them were irreversible. Leisure providers speak of lost generations of participants and volunteers.
Decreased volunteering
Although most leisure organisations have reported an increase in membership since the pandemic, the number of volunteers has continued to decline. For example, an interviewee representing a national youth council noted a decrease of one hour of volunteer work per person per month within its affiliated organisations. This negative trend is a cause for concern among leisure and hobby organisations, as volunteer work is essential for delivering activities and fostering resilience among young people.
Representatives of hobby organisations described how the departure of role models and youth leaders had resulted in a loss of knowledge transfer, which in turn had affected younger participants. Some organisations have had to start from scratch to equip young leaders with the necessary skills and competencies to organise a summer camp. The shortage of youth leaders and knowledge also limited the ability to kick-start after the crisis.
Movement from organised to unorganised leisure activities
The pandemic prompted some young people to switch from organised sports to more informal physical activities. (Teare & Taks, 2021) There has also been a growing interest in outdoor life and holistic health practices such as yoga, meditation, crocheting, knitting, and painting among young Swedes, reflecting a diversification of leisure activities. (Ungdomsbarometern AB, 2025) This increased interest in outdoor life has also been reported in Finland, Faroe Islands, and Norway. (Johansen et al., 2024).
Persisting inequalities
This report demonstrates that the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in young people’s mental health and overall well-being, leaving vulnerable groups particularly exposed. While the lasting impact of these inequalities is beyond the scope of this report, it can be concluded that children and young people with fewer opportunities are likely to be the least resilient and the most disadvantaged in any future crises. (Olofsson & Kvist, 2022)
A lack of social skills and togetherness
Informants were asked to reflect on any lingering effects of the pandemic on young people’s behaviour. Some interviewees reflected on the fact that it is difficult to say with certainty whether behavioural changes are related to the pandemic, as several trends were ongoing even if they were accentuated during the pandemic. However, most interviewees state that they have become more aware of specific patterns in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Almost all the examples were related to the deficit of the loving dimension of well-being. They stressed the importance of feeling a sense of belonging and togetherness, and of having the opportunity to socialise and develop social skills, all of which were largely inaccessible during the pandemic. Below are a few examples to illustrate what has just been indicated. An interviewee representing a sports association said:
‘The number of volunteers has declined somewhat, but the most obvious negative difference as compared to before is that it has become increasingly difficult to get youth leaders and other volunteers to take on responsibility.’
Another interviewee narrated:
‘I am a sports coach in a young team in my free time. Team members sometimes call the evening before a game, to notify that they don’t feel like coming, or that they have fallen sick, and it appears to happen more frequently lately. Of course, it’s difficult to say if this has anything to do with the pandemic. My guess is that it might be related to the fact that young people have become used to meeting and engaging on-line. In an on-line game people drop in and out without that leading to any consequences for the rest of the players, as it does in real life.’
The interviewee then added:
‘I have also noticed that children and young people are more anxious than before. They don’t enjoy staying overnight at sports camps or on hikes. They are also more sensitive to noise and crowds. During the last tournaments, some young participants requested a “silent room”, where they could withdraw and rest.’
Informants representing youth centres and non-governmental youth organisations (NGOs) alike have noted an increased level of conflict and harsher language, as well as an inability to solve conflicts. Social anxiety is also making it difficult to establish contact with others or find one’s way in a social setting.
Conflict levels were also found to have risen by a university teacher:
‘Many young people who attended high school during the pandemic, have now become students at the university. Whenever we have group work, I reflect on the fact that there are many more conflicts than there used to be, and I can’t help but think that this is because young people missed out on training crucial social skills such as collaboration, conflict management, or even compromising.’
These examples indicate that the decrease in participation of young people during the pandemic has had a negative impact on young people’s social skills, which can be expected to affect various aspects of their lives in the long term.
