To empower and enable young people at scale we need to deeply understand the reality of their lives and respond to their needs.
To do this, we asked 5,000 young people aged 11-18 about their lives outside of school, their perception of the opportunities open to them and awareness of services designed to support them.
View the key findings infographicspend some time watching streamed content (Netflix, Youtube etc) in their free time outside of school
use their phone to communicate with friends (e.g. through social media or WhatsApp)
watch TV and play computer games outside of school.
of young people who work a part time job say they are doing this more than they did pre-covid
spend most of their free time on screens
of young people spend most of their free time alone
of young people spend most of their free time with their family, parents or carers
spend most of their free time online communicating with friends
spend most of their free time in person with their friends
of young people spend most of their free time in their bedrooms
of young people spend most of their free time at home
of young people spend most of their free time hanging out on the streets
of young people that attend a youth centre say it has a positive impact on their lives
of young people say going to a youth club has offered then new experiences and opportunities
of young people say going to a youth club has given them new skills
of young people say going to a youth club has helped them overcome the difficulties they face
of young people named parents as people they feel they can trust and talk to
of young people consider their teacher to be a trusted adult
of young people do not have a trusted adult in their life outside of their family
of young people do not have a trusted adult they can trust and talk to
feel able to relax and have fun outside of school
do not have opportunities to meet new people or make friends beyond their social group outside of school
do not have the opportunity to learn the skills to prepare them for adulthood
do not have opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity outside of school
of young people say they do not have a safe space where they feel belonging
reported high or very high levels of satisfaction with their life
reported high or very high feelings of anxiety
reported high or very high feelings that the things they do in their life are worthwhile
reported high or very high levels of happiness
At OnSide we believe passionately that face-to-face social connections with peers build young people’s confidence, self-esteem, resilience, empathy and communication skills – supporting their health and wellbeing and laying the foundations for them to thrive into adulthood. That’s why it’s vital that we have open, honest public conversation about the potential long-term implications for young people of their increasingly reduced social connections.
Youth centres are vital hubs of belonging and connection for young people helping them build rich social lives, develop and grow in safe spaces designed to support them, and we believe every young person deserves access to high-quality youth provision.
