TORONTO, May 12, 2020 /Canada Newswire – A recent digital poll launched by UNICEF Canada through its U-Report platform asked over 600 young people in every province and territory, including those furthest from opportunity, about their mental health, education, work and family dynamics to take a more in-depth look at the issues they are facing during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“Many adults are talking about the impacts of COVID-19 on behalf of children and youth instead of giving young people the platform to tell us how they really think and feel, in their own words,” said Alli Truesdell, UNICEF Canada’s Youth Participation Lead. “For example, 80 per cent of respondents said they are somewhat, very or extremely concerned about the level of stress they perceive within their family and seven in 10 respondents say the pandemic is negatively impacting their mental health.”
U-Report allows young people to share their unfiltered views on how the pandemic has forever changed their childhoods and their futures. Launched in October 2018 by UNICEF Canada, U-Report Canada is a digital polling platform for young people ages 13-24 to gather youth perspectives on issues to influence positive change.
The poll, which ran from April 30 to May 5, 2020, included responses from 125 U-Reporters across the country. The results give Canadians important insights into the lives of children and youth in Canada.