Unicef, resilient teenagers but stressed by Dad

An eye on the environment, the belief that a free and efficient health system is essential, happy with their life, digital enough but stressed by the dad.

This is the portrait that emerges from the Unicef ​​report 'The future we want' - Being adolescents at the time of Covid-19, born to know how the health emergency has changed the perception that adolescents in Italy have of their well-being, the impact that COVID-19 had lessons learned in their lives for a more equitable and sustainable future.

Unicef ​​interviewed 2,000 young people between 15 and 19 years old and almost half of them think that digital has united them during the lockdown, because without them they would have been more isolated, but one in three have doubts about it and one in 5 thinks divided them, because not all of them had the same opportunities to access technologies and connectivity;

as far as distance learning is concerned, almost 6 out of 10 teenagers did not find themselves in difficulty with digitization, but 1 out of 3 did.

However, more than 6 out of 10 students stated that digitization has created stress in the study.

Among the things that children appreciate about school at the time of the Covid, the greater flexibility of schedules and participation in the definition of the calendar with teachers (58%), followed by remedial classes for those in difficulty (37%).

Only one in 4 teenagers would like to continue to hold some distance learning sessions.

To help students in financial difficulty, one in 3 teenagers would like more scholarships and the integration of the culture bonus.

Furthermore, it emerges that 65% of adolescents think that a public health system, free and accessible to all is essential to maintain a good state of health.

For nearly 4 out of 10 adolescents, then, the environmental factors that act on the causes of epidemics must be taken into close consideration for public health;

for half of adolescents, the promotion of proper nutrition and healthier lifestyles, which should also take place at school, is also considered a priority for physical well-being.

As many as 87% of adolescents propose reducing pollution by reducing consumption as a virtuous behavior to be maintained even after the emergency.

Teenagers living in Italy declare themselves satisfied with life in general - assigning 6.5 on a scale from 1 to 10. The economic well-being is just over 6.

Health is below sufficiency (5.9), in the assessment of which the perception of insecurity and fragility linked to the pandemic weighs.

The environment in which adolescents live is the aspect with which they are most satisfied, rated with an 8.1, the family is also one of the aspects on which adolescents are most satisfied (7.6).

One in 3 teenagers think that relationships with family and cohabitants during the lockdown have improved;

however, 16% of respondents to the survey reported a deterioration in family relationships.

An alarming fact also emerges: 64% of adolescents, significantly 73% of girls and 53% of boys, think that home (or the place where you live) is not a safe place for everyone.

In line with the dictates of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Adolescent, with this report Unicef ​​is the spokesperson for the demands of adolescents that emerged from the survey and asks the Government, the competent Ministries, the Regions, the Municipalities and the Organizations of the civil society.

The Unicef ​​report is at the link https://www.unicef.it/Allegati/FutureWeWant_Report_finale.pdf.