Covid Kids: The Long Shadow of the Pandemic on Young People
- Antonia Kenny
- Mar 18
- 4 min read
If there's one thing the past few years have taught us, it's that pandemics don't magically disappear the moment the lockdowns lift and the masks come off. The effects stretch far beyond ICU admissions and government briefings, rippling into places we rarely discuss—like the minds and futures of an entire generation. While adults were panic-buying toilet paper and baking an almost suspicious amount of banana bread, children and teenagers in the UK were quietly, and sometimes not-so-quietly, struggling.
So, let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about the tiny humans who missed birthday parties and playdates, who spent formative years staring at pixelated Zoom calls instead of real-life friends, and whose mental health has been plummeting faster than a government minister’s approval ratings.
Learning in Pajamas: The Educational Fallout
Once upon a time, school was about more than just memorising Henry VIII’s marital drama or being traumatised by algebra. It was about structure, socialisation, and learning how to function in society without throwing tantrums (a skill some adults never quite master). But when schools shut their doors, education turned into a digital free-for-all.
Children from lower-income families suffered the most, with many lacking access to laptops or stable internet connections. Some were expected to learn quantum physics from a single mobile phone while sharing it with three siblings. Others had no quiet space to study, meaning their education unfolded in the chaotic battlefield of the living room. By the time classrooms reopened, the gaps in learning were big enough to lose an entire year group in.
And for the youngest? Teachers are now reporting that many children entering primary school struggle with basic communication. Some aren’t speaking in full sentences. Others don’t understand turn-taking or group play. In short, a whole chunk of kids are playing social catch-up because, instead of playdates, they spent crucial years interacting with exhausted parents and the cast of Paw Patrol.
The Great Mental Health Crisis (Spoiler: It’s Still Happening)
If you were under the illusion that young people have "bounced back" post-pandemic, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the statistics are grim. Mental health referrals for children and teens have skyrocketed, with NHS data showing that anxiety referrals for under-17s more than doubled compared to pre-COVID levels.
And it’s not just about anxiety. Depression, self-harm, eating disorders—they're all on the rise, particularly among teenage girls. The number of teenagers aged 16-19 claiming disability benefits for mental health conditions has doubled since 2019. If that doesn’t scream "national crisis," I don’t know what does.
This isn’t a coincidence. Lockdowns removed vital support networks—teachers, friends, social workers—while increasing stress at home. And let’s not forget social media, that glorious black hole of insecurity and misinformation. With nothing else to do, young people turned to their screens, and prolonged exposure to doomscrolling and TikTok beauty standards hasn’t exactly left them feeling great about themselves.
Sources:The Guardian: Child Mental Health CrisisThe Times: Rise in Teen Anxiety
Social Development: A Generation of Awkward Penguins?
For kids, social skills are like a muscle—you have to use them, or they wither away. And thanks to social distancing, many of those muscles are looking a bit atrophied. Teachers and parents alike have reported that some children now struggle with basic social interactions. They’re more withdrawn, more anxious, and in some cases, more prone to aggressive outbursts. Suspensions in schools have soared, with behavioural issues becoming the new norm.
Why? Well, imagine you were six years old when the pandemic hit. That means you missed out on key years of playing, sharing, and figuring out that you can’t just yell at people to get what you want. The result? A rise in kids who have the social skills of particularly grumpy cats.
And for teenagers? The ones who were supposed to be navigating the chaos of adolescence, forming friendships, dating, sneaking out to questionable house parties? Many now report feeling isolated, struggling to reintegrate, and experiencing record-high levels of loneliness.
Sources:The Financial Times: Pandemic’s Impact on Child Social SkillsThe BBC: School Suspensions Surge Post-COVID
What Now?
Look, we’re past the phase of clapping for the NHS and pretending things are fine. The pandemic took a wrecking ball to the lives of young people, and we’re still sorting through the rubble. Addressing this crisis requires more than just wishful thinking and the occasional government soundbite.
Schools need funding for mental health support, not just for students but for teachers dealing with an increasingly difficult classroom environment.
Parents need resources and guidance to help their children develop the social skills and confidence they missed out on.
The NHS needs actual investment, not just applause, to deal with the mental health backlog and the long-term physical consequences of the pandemic.
And crucially, we need to stop dismissing the struggles of young people with the classic "Well, when I was your age, I had to walk uphill both ways to school in a snowstorm" speech. This isn’t about resilience—it’s about the very real, measurable impacts of an unprecedented global event.
The good news? Kids are adaptable. Adolescents are resilient. But only if we give them the right tools, the right support, and the right environment to rebuild what was lost. And if we don’t? Well, we’ll be feeling the aftershocks of this pandemic for generations to come.
So, let’s do something about it. Because if we don’t fight for them, who will?
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