A Brock professor is trying to figure out how young people are dealing with social isolation.
In an ongoing study, a team is doing weekly online check-ins with around 20 minors from 8 - 15 years old to see how they are coping, with a more in-depth interview every other week.
“A lot of them are talking about boredom,” says research leader Rebecca Raby.
“But we are also hearing about resilience and creativity, what they are doing to deal with stress. Many are colouring, having online interactions with their friends, and one guy got his mom to teach him how to cook.”
As a sociologist and professor in child- and youth studies, a lot of her focus is on how socio-economic factors such as a childs living situation plays into the experience of social isolation.
“We want to look at for example how a child that has a parent that has to work right now experiences this while living in an apartment, compared to someone with both parents home from a more rural place,” she continues.
While the material so far is scarce, Raby is hoping the team will have a better snapshot of what goes on in a young persons head during the pandemic in a few weeks.
But so far, one surprising finding has come to light.
“A lot are saying they are missing school,” says Raby.
She hopes her research will not only help find methods and clarity on how to support young people, but serve as a historical document.
“When people look back and wonder what the kids were doing or how they were feeling during this, we can help answer that.”
