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What It’s Like To Be Young And In Covid-19 Lockdown

This article is more than 3 years old.

Four Melburnians in their 20s share a glimpse of their lives during one of the boldest public health interventions in Australian history. Metropolitan Melbourne is under stage 4 coronavirus lockdown for six weeks. That means an 8pm-5am curfew and, apart from strict exceptions, just one hour outdoors per day for exercise, within 5km of home.

Not seeing people is definitely the hardest thing

Australia started introducing nation-wide coronavirus restrictions back in mid-March. While the rest of the country has been able to relax a little the state of Victoria, which saw a rise in new infections, is now one week into into the strictest lockdown yet.

“I want this to be over. I wish we just went to stage 4 from the start and tried to eradicate it from day one,” says 27-year-old Ben.

He’s talking about a New-Zealand style lockdown, which has seen that country tally 100 days since the last Coronavirus transmission.

Ben is an emergency services worker. He’s grateful to have a stable job and not worry about money. But the lockdown has changed things. The regular Friday get-togethers, where he and his colleagues catch up and debrief, are no more. And because he lives alone, that’s sorely missed.

He says being around people is a different experience these days. “You think, why isn’t this person wearing a mask? Or what’s the reason they’re in such a big group of people? You become a little bit judgy, I suppose.”

Because of the nature of his job, he’s had to limit his interactions with friends and family to ensure he doesn’t expose them to his higher level of risk.

“I can’t see my parents or nan or anyone because of this. I definitely think that’s the hardest thing,” says Ben.

That includes staying away from his partner. Under the current rules, intimate partners who don’t live together are allowed to visit one another, but his partner’s mother has health issues, so they’re sticking with Facetime and watching movies together while on the phone.

“We’re just being smart about it and cutting it to no contact until things go back to some sense of normality.”

Ben says in some ways it’s enabled a different kind of closeness with friends.

“You’re learning more about them and being able to be there in an emotional way for your mates.

“You can tell if someone’s struggling. They go quiet on socials. You can get a vibe through a message if someone isn’t coping well. You know you need to be here for this person.”

I’ll never take my parents for granted again

Shifting to part-time hours has been one of the biggest lockdown changes for 25-year-old Bianca.

“I’ve worked full-time all my life, so it’s been a massive adjustment,” she says. And she’s not alone. In a survey by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, 30% of respondents under 30 reported a decrease in their income since the pandemic began, and 21% said they had no work at all.

In spite of the reduced hours, Bianca’s own financial situation has actually improved.

That’s partly because she hasn’t been going out.

“You realize how much you spend going out to dinners, hanging out with friends. I’m paying off credit cards and buying things I haven’t been able to buy because I’ve been going out every weekend.”

And it’s largely because she lives at home with her parents, which has also been an emotional boon.

“I miss just seeing friends and being able to go out. But I still live with Mum and Dad, so I’m surrounded by a lot of love,” says Bianca.

“A lot of my friends live on their own. They’re struggling not having that interaction, social life, going out every Saturday night. I think that’s been the hardest thing for young people like us.

“My partner is struggling too. He relies a lot on friends.”

Because he still goes out to work every day, she only sees him once a week. “I don’t want to bring anything back to my parents. I’m being very careful with that,” she says.

“I’m very, very lucky. Being at home has made me realize how much I appreciate my parents, and how much they do for us. I’ll never take them for granted again.”

It’s an emotional rollercoaster

“The hardest part is living in this small apartment with not really anywhere more to go,” says 25-year-old Sophie.

“I’m literally rolling out of bed and jumping on my computer and doing my work. I’ve set up on my chest of drawers. Sometimes I’ll work on the kitchen table, just to mix things up a bit.”

After applying for over 70 jobs, Sophie landed a full-time role the same week she started renting a two-bedroom flat with a good friend. Her boyfriend is now about to move in.

“I’ve got those two, which is amazing,” says Sophie.

“But I’m so outgoing and such a social person. We had things on every weekend. I’m close to the city. I want to get out and be able to experience what’s new and local to me.”

At first, during the initial national shutdown in March, catchups on platforms like Zoom and Houseparty were a common occurrence.

“It was kind of fun and there was a novelty to it,” she said.

“And we’d drink with each other. That was a big part of it.”

Sophie and her friends were not the only ones to indulge. In April, one in five Australian households reported buying more alcohol than they had before the pandemic began.

In this lockdown, Sophie’s group catch-ups have died away, though the drinking hasn’t.

“My housemate and I have been like, ‘Oh, do you want a wine?’ And then we end up drinking on a weeknight, which isn’t that normal. I can definitely say I’ve upheld the Australian drinking culture.”

While young people are often characterized as digital natives who have no qualms about communicating online, Sophie says some of her friends are not really all that keen.

“There’s a balance between connecting with friends that are really social, that want to see your face and interact with you, and others who’ll send you a text every couple of weeks just saying they’re ok.”

As the weeks roll on, new ways are found to pass the time. (This week it’s paint-by-numbers kits). There’s more cooking, more eating, and more exercise. Books are being read for the first time in years.

Weariness is starting to set in, too.

“We had July, those four weeks where we were allowed to go out to restaurants or a bar and sit there and have a meal, watch the football. That was amazing, that month,” Sophie recalls.

“But that’s the month where obviously we’ve seen that this second spike is coming from. Then they re-enforced things, so this is the end of our fifth week. And now we have until the middle of September.

“And it’s just Victoria. At the start it was ‘we’re all in this together’ but now it’s like, alright, hurry up so we can all get back on track. It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just a bit of frustration with the lag.”

“It’s exhausting, but it is what it is.

“I’m like a rollercoaster of emotions really. Last night I would have sounded like a different person. But I’m a pretty positive person and that takes over most of the time.”

This lockdown is different

“This time round it’s less about the frustration of lockdown and more about uncertainty of what’s going to happen,” explains 28-year-old Jordan.

“You see the numbers on TV—400, then 600, 700—and you think, well, if this doesn’t work, if we’re still sitting here in three or four weeks’ time and the numbers haven’t dropped, we could be looking at potentially worse restrictions.

“So that’s probably where it gets a little bit challenging; it’s unknown.”

Employment is precarious for some of Jordan’s friends, but he feels lucky to have a secure job and he’s been working full-time from home for several months.

In fact, he hasn’t had a break all year. What’s the point, he says, when you can’t go away for the weekend, interstate or just to the beach? And work helps fill the days.

He’s found ways to stay in a “pretty good headspace” despite really missing things like live music and sport that he used to enjoy in his pre-lockdown life.

“With the footy being on now it’s a bit easier. Last time there was literally nothing on TV. That’s what I kind of rely on,” says Jordan.

As with others who have experienced lockdown around the world, some of the health impacts have been positive for Jordan, who’s making full use of his 5km radius daily exercise allowance, on bike and on foot.

“I don’t have to commute to and from work. I can just shut my laptop, put on some running gear and go out. So that’s probably been a big plus.”

And the arrival of rescue dog Jay Jay has helped him to stay positive. That’s something he’s been planning for a while, but it’s taken several weeks to make it happen because it has occurred to many others to do the same while they have so much time at home.

Meanwhile, finding romance has proved more challenging. Going on physical dates is fraught with logistical issues and although there has been one Zoom date, “it just wasn’t the same”.

“I’m 28 and I’ve got friends who are having kids at the moment. But I’m single and it’s six months of my life where I haven’t been able to meet anyone,” he laughs.

“I can’t blame that all on lockdown, but it’s a good excuse.”

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