1) It’s a relatively small study. So pinch of salt needed.
2) It was only based on the first lockdown. I wonder if this figure decreased as the epidemic continued.
3) It points to how shitty school is for many people as an experience. Which is really sad.
Edit: remarkable the number of comments by people who didn’t even read the title of the piece, let alone the article itself!
It was pretty obvious that some people were happy because they didn’t really have to do much. There’s various reasons why a person could be happy with the situation, I think you’d agree.
So… 2 in 3 felt terrible then?
I know I certainly did. As a single guy in my 20s, being stuck at home with my family was absolutely miserable.
Also unlike most people in UK subs I actually miss my colleagues and WFH has been torture.
I was definitely happier on furlough during lockdown. Never left home, but was happier lol
Honestly the first month or two of lockdown in spring 2020 was a novelty. It was a very surreal time to be alive – the PM on the news telling us all to stay home, work from home options being introduced, a real community spirit of being in it together, nice weather and a daily walk around the village and it was like the pause button had been hit. I have happy memories of that time period and am sort of sad it’s over with but the winter lockdowns were fucking awful.
Several friends and acquaintances have said they loved furlough and the initial atmosphere of everyone putting rainbows up in their windows, stories of people taking up gardening and pottery and other crafts, and that they’re actually rather nostalgic for the warm spring of 2020 and would do it all again in a heartbeat.
It’s going to obviously vary a huge amount depending on the circumstances of the individual, but its hardly rocket science to see why those on furlough with a stable job they were certain to be returning to would have enjoyed it…
Edit: obviously this is from the anecdotal lens of young people in their late 20s and very early 30s rather than kids and teens. But this is definitely a pattern I’ve seen in my circles when it comes to their memories of the initial 2020 lockdown in particular.
My mental health certainly felt better during the first lockdown with not going to my retail job for three months. The last lockdown during the winter was horrendous and had the opposite effect though.
First lockdown for me was relief at being able to work from home mixed with some worry about the future.
Fast forward two years and I’ve spent many months in a mental health crisis. Wonder how many people are the same now. I’d say a lot based on the lack of support provided
>Ms Soneson and colleagues explored this issue using the OxWell Student Survey, a large, school-based survey of students aged eight to 18 years living in England.
Lots of people in the thread talking from an adults perspective, this is children. From a personal point of view, we had a lot more time with our children that we wouldn’t have otherwise as well, and that was honestly a silver lining of lockdown.
I hope most of those that felt happier for that reason, and not the absense of bullying, this paragraph says it’s both.
>Students who felt they had had better wellbeing during lockdown weremore likely than their peers to report positive lockdown experiences ofschool, home, relationships, and lifestyle. For example, compared withtheir peers, a greater percentage of students reporting better wellbeingalso reported decreases in bullying, improved relationships withfriends and family, less loneliness, better management of schoolwork,more sleep, and more exercise during lockdown compared with before.
I’m in the minority that felt happier during lockdown, but I’m a fairly reclusive person so it just more of what I was already doing.
I’m also not very family orientated, so couple that with my habit of staying in over going out – I was having a great time. Not to downplay the COVID deaths that people experienced of friends and family, I thankfully didn’t experience anything that tragic during lockdown.
I even enjoyed winter lockdown, I’m not the only one – there’s literally dozens of us.
I can imagine not being hugged by people you did not want to hug you or touch in any other way would be something appreciated.
It was great tbh, feel guilty to say it but it was nice weather, real novelty to be home every day, spend more time with family and save some money. Everyone was pulling together in the community and it was dead quiet out, I had some great walks. Plus, it was great to not have to socialise incessantly – I like being on my own!
For those lucky enough to have kept their jobs, and not be medically vulnerable, it was a good laugh
Being brutally honest, I rather enjoyed lockdown and am probably having a harder time readjusting to “normality”. I got to spend more time with my wife and newborn, I was able to work effectively from home, there was no commute. I appreciate that makes me incredibly fortunate (especially as those I knew who had contracted COVID made complete recoveries) but I can absolutely see why some kids (especially those who don’t enjoy the school environment) felt happier during that period.
I was happier because it was so damn quiet. Hardly any cars on the road, hardly any sirens.
Now the world is back to being its loud, stressful self and I swear to god it’s actually got worse.
When the cars came off the road I was really happy.
Got out on my bike and had a real time of it.
Not the cars are back and twice as shit to make up for it.
It’s all super subjective of course (everyone does different jobs/recreation), but for a lot it was a glimpse of life without working bullshit jobs, awful/expensive commutes, etc and actually spending more time with people you care about
[deleted]
For the most part I felt better mentally during lockdown. Changed my daily communite to do exercise instead. Another walk at lunch time and being able to work a little later if needed and not worry about how it would affect my trains etc. really did me the world of good.
Lockdown in spring/summer was heaven, I work in a non essential shop so I was on furlough so nothing to get up for, no uni work on, nice lay ins and getting a afternoon nap in so was feeling very rested and calm. Walking at leisure with very minimal cars out so walking around the local lakes and villages was peaceful. Being able to clear mind and be with own thoughts, catching up on series I wanted to see and having the time to do it, getting the book list down. I was actually a lot happier.
Winter lockdown was brutal though.
So majority of young people didn’t feel happier? Non story as usual.
I actually looked at the paper they wrote and there’s something I suspect some people really won’t like.
66.1% said that their happiness was the same or better. Only 33.9% (a sizeable minority) said their happiness was worse. In total 16940 children took part in the study.
At least back then the government were pretending to give a shit about us
It’s important to note this survey was taken during June/July 2020. Honestly, from a uni student perspective, the extended summer from the first lockdown wasn’t that bad. I remember we had amazing weather for those first couple of months, so it’s not surprising that people exercised more, as one such example. Online exams also relieved a lot of pressure for myself and a lot of my peers.
Was I happier though? Not really, because I lost a lot of in-person social interactions, through my course, societies and sports. It was tough to lose all that 3 months earlier than a typical uni year. It was only with the november lockdown, and going on into Christmas and beyond, that most people I knew became really unhappy and mental health capitulated. I’d be very surprised if the 1 in 3 figure would have been that high if the survey had been taken in summer 2021 rather than summer 2020, or around christmas/new year/Feb 2021, that was really the low point for me
I was lucky because it came two weeks before I switched jobs. My old job said to just not worry about online work for the final two weeks, then Easter break, then new job gave me a while to just familiarise myself with their system and way of doing things. I had a jolly old time that spring and summer. My dad died in the August of non COVID related things which sucked, but to be honest the pandemic and lockdowns have all been interesting for me.
I am aware that I am lucky in this regard though.
My son passed away in early 2019 and I was struggling so hard with returning to work at the end of 2019 when my leave was running out. It was a huge relief when we were all sent home at the beginning of the pandemic. WFH helped me so much when I was struggling with my mental health and being in the office.
It also helped take off the pressure of having to be social. Having to go anywhere. I could just hang out with my dog all day and go for walks.
Parents at home and unable to spend their money and attention on nights out, sports, friends and work.
Probably a hard split here between those who were financially comfortable/had the option to work from home, and those who didn’t. Lockdown was great if you were lucky enough to take it as a holiday. Not so much if you were still going to work while everything closed down, or you lost your job because of it.
Yeah kids were happy cause they just got to sit at home and play videogames all day. The majority of adults though? We felt so much worse. Pushing this pro-lockdown agenda is sad, why would anyone ever wish to go back to those times?
Honestly the worst year of my life. I did not see anyone in person my age for over a year. I also didn’t speak to people for months at a time as they were busy. My dad is an insufferable cunt. I have literally months without any memories.
All my friends at uni ended up graduating as they didn’t go on placement. They also didn’t stay in regular contact as they got busy with exams.
Because of that time I now get occasional anxiety attacks around loneliness. I don’t sleep well, I can’t concentrate on work all that much, I’m often tired and have lost many people who I thought were my friends.
29 comments
This is an interesting one.
1) It’s a relatively small study. So pinch of salt needed.
2) It was only based on the first lockdown. I wonder if this figure decreased as the epidemic continued.
3) It points to how shitty school is for many people as an experience. Which is really sad.
Edit: remarkable the number of comments by people who didn’t even read the title of the piece, let alone the article itself!
It was pretty obvious that some people were happy because they didn’t really have to do much. There’s various reasons why a person could be happy with the situation, I think you’d agree.
So… 2 in 3 felt terrible then?
I know I certainly did. As a single guy in my 20s, being stuck at home with my family was absolutely miserable.
Also unlike most people in UK subs I actually miss my colleagues and WFH has been torture.
I was definitely happier on furlough during lockdown. Never left home, but was happier lol
Honestly the first month or two of lockdown in spring 2020 was a novelty. It was a very surreal time to be alive – the PM on the news telling us all to stay home, work from home options being introduced, a real community spirit of being in it together, nice weather and a daily walk around the village and it was like the pause button had been hit. I have happy memories of that time period and am sort of sad it’s over with but the winter lockdowns were fucking awful.
Several friends and acquaintances have said they loved furlough and the initial atmosphere of everyone putting rainbows up in their windows, stories of people taking up gardening and pottery and other crafts, and that they’re actually rather nostalgic for the warm spring of 2020 and would do it all again in a heartbeat.
It’s going to obviously vary a huge amount depending on the circumstances of the individual, but its hardly rocket science to see why those on furlough with a stable job they were certain to be returning to would have enjoyed it…
Edit: obviously this is from the anecdotal lens of young people in their late 20s and very early 30s rather than kids and teens. But this is definitely a pattern I’ve seen in my circles when it comes to their memories of the initial 2020 lockdown in particular.
My mental health certainly felt better during the first lockdown with not going to my retail job for three months. The last lockdown during the winter was horrendous and had the opposite effect though.
First lockdown for me was relief at being able to work from home mixed with some worry about the future.
Fast forward two years and I’ve spent many months in a mental health crisis. Wonder how many people are the same now. I’d say a lot based on the lack of support provided
>Ms Soneson and colleagues explored this issue using the OxWell Student Survey, a large, school-based survey of students aged eight to 18 years living in England.
Lots of people in the thread talking from an adults perspective, this is children. From a personal point of view, we had a lot more time with our children that we wouldn’t have otherwise as well, and that was honestly a silver lining of lockdown.
I hope most of those that felt happier for that reason, and not the absense of bullying, this paragraph says it’s both.
>Students who felt they had had better wellbeing during lockdown weremore likely than their peers to report positive lockdown experiences ofschool, home, relationships, and lifestyle. For example, compared withtheir peers, a greater percentage of students reporting better wellbeingalso reported decreases in bullying, improved relationships withfriends and family, less loneliness, better management of schoolwork,more sleep, and more exercise during lockdown compared with before.
I’m in the minority that felt happier during lockdown, but I’m a fairly reclusive person so it just more of what I was already doing.
I’m also not very family orientated, so couple that with my habit of staying in over going out – I was having a great time. Not to downplay the COVID deaths that people experienced of friends and family, I thankfully didn’t experience anything that tragic during lockdown.
I even enjoyed winter lockdown, I’m not the only one – there’s literally dozens of us.
I can imagine not being hugged by people you did not want to hug you or touch in any other way would be something appreciated.
It was great tbh, feel guilty to say it but it was nice weather, real novelty to be home every day, spend more time with family and save some money. Everyone was pulling together in the community and it was dead quiet out, I had some great walks. Plus, it was great to not have to socialise incessantly – I like being on my own!
For those lucky enough to have kept their jobs, and not be medically vulnerable, it was a good laugh
Being brutally honest, I rather enjoyed lockdown and am probably having a harder time readjusting to “normality”. I got to spend more time with my wife and newborn, I was able to work effectively from home, there was no commute. I appreciate that makes me incredibly fortunate (especially as those I knew who had contracted COVID made complete recoveries) but I can absolutely see why some kids (especially those who don’t enjoy the school environment) felt happier during that period.
I was happier because it was so damn quiet. Hardly any cars on the road, hardly any sirens.
Now the world is back to being its loud, stressful self and I swear to god it’s actually got worse.
When the cars came off the road I was really happy.
Got out on my bike and had a real time of it.
Not the cars are back and twice as shit to make up for it.
It’s all super subjective of course (everyone does different jobs/recreation), but for a lot it was a glimpse of life without working bullshit jobs, awful/expensive commutes, etc and actually spending more time with people you care about
[deleted]
For the most part I felt better mentally during lockdown. Changed my daily communite to do exercise instead. Another walk at lunch time and being able to work a little later if needed and not worry about how it would affect my trains etc. really did me the world of good.
Lockdown in spring/summer was heaven, I work in a non essential shop so I was on furlough so nothing to get up for, no uni work on, nice lay ins and getting a afternoon nap in so was feeling very rested and calm. Walking at leisure with very minimal cars out so walking around the local lakes and villages was peaceful. Being able to clear mind and be with own thoughts, catching up on series I wanted to see and having the time to do it, getting the book list down. I was actually a lot happier.
Winter lockdown was brutal though.
So majority of young people didn’t feel happier? Non story as usual.
I actually looked at the paper they wrote and there’s something I suspect some people really won’t like.
66.1% said that their happiness was the same or better. Only 33.9% (a sizeable minority) said their happiness was worse. In total 16940 children took part in the study.
It’s open access so have a look for yourself https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-021-01934-z
At least back then the government were pretending to give a shit about us
It’s important to note this survey was taken during June/July 2020. Honestly, from a uni student perspective, the extended summer from the first lockdown wasn’t that bad. I remember we had amazing weather for those first couple of months, so it’s not surprising that people exercised more, as one such example. Online exams also relieved a lot of pressure for myself and a lot of my peers.
Was I happier though? Not really, because I lost a lot of in-person social interactions, through my course, societies and sports. It was tough to lose all that 3 months earlier than a typical uni year. It was only with the november lockdown, and going on into Christmas and beyond, that most people I knew became really unhappy and mental health capitulated. I’d be very surprised if the 1 in 3 figure would have been that high if the survey had been taken in summer 2021 rather than summer 2020, or around christmas/new year/Feb 2021, that was really the low point for me
I was lucky because it came two weeks before I switched jobs. My old job said to just not worry about online work for the final two weeks, then Easter break, then new job gave me a while to just familiarise myself with their system and way of doing things. I had a jolly old time that spring and summer. My dad died in the August of non COVID related things which sucked, but to be honest the pandemic and lockdowns have all been interesting for me.
I am aware that I am lucky in this regard though.
My son passed away in early 2019 and I was struggling so hard with returning to work at the end of 2019 when my leave was running out. It was a huge relief when we were all sent home at the beginning of the pandemic. WFH helped me so much when I was struggling with my mental health and being in the office.
It also helped take off the pressure of having to be social. Having to go anywhere. I could just hang out with my dog all day and go for walks.
Parents at home and unable to spend their money and attention on nights out, sports, friends and work.
Probably a hard split here between those who were financially comfortable/had the option to work from home, and those who didn’t. Lockdown was great if you were lucky enough to take it as a holiday. Not so much if you were still going to work while everything closed down, or you lost your job because of it.
Yeah kids were happy cause they just got to sit at home and play videogames all day. The majority of adults though? We felt so much worse. Pushing this pro-lockdown agenda is sad, why would anyone ever wish to go back to those times?
Honestly the worst year of my life. I did not see anyone in person my age for over a year. I also didn’t speak to people for months at a time as they were busy. My dad is an insufferable cunt. I have literally months without any memories.
All my friends at uni ended up graduating as they didn’t go on placement. They also didn’t stay in regular contact as they got busy with exams.
Because of that time I now get occasional anxiety attacks around loneliness. I don’t sleep well, I can’t concentrate on work all that much, I’m often tired and have lost many people who I thought were my friends.