Many of us were worried and scared during the COVID pandemic, but we are probably starting to feel a lot better since the lockdowns have been lifted and life is more like before.
But new data shows this has not been the case for young Australians.
Our wide-ranging survey of young people across the country reveals that many young people fear they will never be able to own a home and will end up worse off than their parents.
Read more: Listening to young people’s voices was missing in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Affordable housing is their main concern
Data from 2023 Australian Youth Barometerwhich surveyed 571 young Australians aged 18-24 and interviewed 30 others, highlights young people’s interconnected and conflicting attitudes about their futures.
In this third iteration of the annual survey, we expected improvements in young people’s attitudes after the worst of the pandemic.
However, pressures have intensified following increases in the cost of living and multiple disruptions to young people’s lives, leading to concerns about their future.
A clear majority of young people (70%) said affordable housing was their main concern (up 15% from last year), while 51% named job opportunities (up 9%) as second.
The concern about affordable housing is not surprising. The fear is real.
In addition to skyrocketing rents and house prices, many young people face the prospect of having nowhere to live. According to 2021 Census data, almost one in four of all people experiencing homelessness (23%) are aged 12 to 24.
A 23-year-old woman from the ACT, who lives in a caravan she does not own, told us housing was her biggest concern:
I’m very lucky to have it [the caravan]. And if they take it from me, I’ll be back on the streets […] I need to be able to shower, have a place to get ready, eat, all of that. That’s really the only worry in life.
Seeing a path to affordable accommodation is even more difficult given the current conditions of young people.
About 90% of respondents experienced financial difficulties in the past year, a continuation of last year’s trend. About one in five (21%) experienced food insecurity.
Survivor now is a concern, let alone give a roof tomorrow. Just 35% of young people feel confident that they will be able to afford a place to live in the next year.
Feeling unprepared for the future
Only 52% of young people we asked believe their education has prepared them for the future
Three issues arise here. First, some young people are critical of education in their schools and after-school institutions.
A 23-year-old woman from South Australia said:
The learning system in Australia is absolutely abominable is what I have to say about it. It’s so backwards, it’s so backwards, it hasn’t kept up with the times, their teaching methods are just inaccurate and a waste of everyone’s time […] He didn’t care what would be best for classroom learning, it was just “This is the system, this is what we do.”
Second, there is a growing realization that in a competitive job market, higher qualifications may not lead to desirable, secure jobs.
Shutterstock
The third is an understanding of what is required to achieve this desired task. Upheavals in the workforce, including technological developments such as automation, have led to the questioning of what skills, knowledge and experience are required for the increasingly familiar future of work.
Other factors such as climate change (the third key issue requiring immediate action) and geopolitical insecurity add to the uncertainty about the future.
Read more: Yes, young people are concerned about climate change. But it can lead them to take action
Challenges for young people’s mental health
The challenges outlined above intersect. A 20-year-old woman from Queensland told us:
I’m just worried that it’s going to be harder for me to get a job than my course or whatever, or that if things like the cost of living and everything keep going up, no matter if I get a job, I wouldn’t be able to, like, stay on it, too.
Only 52% of young Australians believe they are likely or extremely likely to achieve financial security in the future.
More young Australians believe they will be financially worse off than their parents (from 53% in 2022 to 61% in 2023). Most (97%) felt anxious, worried or pessimistic in the past year (up 14% from last year).
Read more: How to teach kids about climate change, inspire hope and take action to change the future
Just over a quarter (26%) rated their mental health as poor or very poor (up 8% on last year). Almost one in four (24%) received mental health care in the past year.
Young people see their health and well-being as interconnected with other factors such as affordable housing, jobs and food security. A 24-year-old man from New South Wales said that:
Financial independence is a healthy thing. I think knowing that you could afford your rent, knowing that you could afford food […] Knowing you have a roof over your head is something I measure in health.
Attitudes that are here to stay?
Conditions for young people usually worsen during economic downturns. The question is whether the above trends reflect an earthquake or an earthquake.
We have seen during past recessions how young people have been disproportionately and negatively affected compared to older age groups. This horror is already visible, despite the relative Good employment figures in recent years (which do not adequately capture the quality, safety and feasibility of current employment); Even so, the youth unemployment rate has risen to 8.7%.
So are these attitudes likely to stick?
A young earthquake is usually defined as marked shift in the cultural patterns brought about by changing values, tastes and attitudes of young people. Such shifts are linked to wider social, economic and political seismic upheavals.
Our findings suggest that the conditions for the next juvenile earthquake may have begun.
