Introduction

Being heard and involved in all matters that concern them is important for children and youth. In this collection of filmed interviews, youth in the Nordic region give insights into how the pandemic affected them. They offer feedback about how things could have been managed differently, and in a way that would have caused them less stress. Two Lithuanian youth also offer their insights into how the subsequent war in Ukraine affected them.

The interviewees share their experience of making a transition from one level of education to another during the pandemic. This means that new relationships with fellow students, teachers and friends had to be established and new educational subjects mastered. For many youths, this was a socially and educationally challenging shift – and potentially more so during the pandemic.

The introduction to the interviews provides a brief description of the main restrictions youth faced in the different Nordic regions. The restrictions that were implemented during the pandemic differed throughout the region, and our focus has been on those restrictions that had consequences for participation in school and leisure activities.

A range of restrictions were implemented by the authorities throughout the Nordic region, to protect all citizens from the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, many children and youth experienced challenges. Arenas, activities and help services important for their wellbeing and development became less accessible. Arenas such as schools and cultural and recreational activities were either entirely or partially closed and services related to health care, welfare, and social assistance were limited. 

Restrictions on leisure and recreational activities may have significantly impacted the ability of children and young people to maintain social relationships, as well as their mental and physical wellbeing (Helfer, Aapola-Kari, & Trane, Children and Young People’s Participation During the Corona Pandemic – Nordic Initiatives, 2023). Most children and youth were also forbidden from gatherings in public places, and sometimes the pandemic measures in place, prevented young people from seeing their loved ones and prohibited them from maintaining friendships (Helfer, Aapola-Kari, & Trane, Children and Young People’s Participation During the Corona Pandemic – Nordic Initiatives, 2023).

Throughout the Nordic region, youth’s voices were often ignored in decision-making processes during the Covid-19 pandemic. To some extent, institutions in the Nordic countries working for and with children and youth were unprepared for the crisis (Helfer, Aapola-Kari, & Trane, Children and Young People’s Participation During the Corona Pandemic – Nordic Initiatives, 2023). If children and youth were consulted on Covid-19 restrictions that affected them, they were involved too late in the process because decisions had often already been made.

The lessons that can be learned from the interviews are also reflected in new Nordic research. Children and youth suffered more than necessary because decision-makers seldom heard or involved them in the decisions that concerned them. 

We recommend reading the following three reports commissioned by the Nordic Welfare Centre on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

In Children and Young People’s Participation During the Corona Pandemic – Nordic Initiatives you can read about whether and how children and youth were involved throughout the Nordic region. You will also learn about promising practises and strategies that provide important lessons on how the right to be heard could have been better implemented and utilised. 

The follow-up report Restricted childhood, interrupted youth will give you a broad overview of Nordic research on education, leisure and participation during the pandemic and the many consequences of the restrictions on Nordic children and youth. 

In the report, Child and youth participation during crisis: Recommendations for decision makers in the Nordic region, young experts and national experts from all the Nordic countries, as well as Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland, give their recommendations for decision-makers on how they can be better prepared for listening to and involving youth during potential future crisis. 

Being heard and involved in all matters that concern them significantly affects children and youth and impacts their well-being, especially during times of crises. We hope that their stories will provide you with insight into the significance of listening to and involving children and youth in all matters that concern them.