CEO blog: Nowhere to belong – ‘link ups’ show how desperate young people are to connect

I’ve been reflecting on the recent “link-up” trend that has seen young people gathering in large numbers in public spaces, restaurants and shopping centres, during the recent Easter Holidays. From south London to Greater Manchester, we have seen hundreds of young people congregating and, unsurprisingly, it has sparked conversations about what it tells us about young people today. 

There has been some unhelpful responses to these events. Many have painted pictures of the young, people involved as inherently bad and lazy, intent on causing trouble and blaming a lack of parental discipline in the homes. It is an angle that conveniently feeds into media narratives portraying young people as dangerous disruptors. One article, although more balanced in its view, still used the word ‘feral’ to describe the meet ups and the ‘rampaging teenagers’ who ‘marauded through busy streets’. 

However, five years of our annual Generation Isolation research has told us how uncommon it is in reality for young people to be roaming the streets – this is a lazy stereotype. Instead young people are typically stuck in their bedrooms on their phones. Based on data from over 5,000 young people, the 2025 report found that only one per cent spent most of their free time on the streets. Rather, 76% spend most of their free time on screens; the smartphone remains young people’s most time-consuming free time activity; almost half (48%) spend most of their free time in their bedrooms; and almost one in five (18%) spend most of their free time alone.  

So, I don’t think we should be looking at these meet ups in terms of revealing who young people are, but instead what they tell us about what they need. I think the answer is clear. Hundreds of young people across the country used their phones – which are known to facilitate the majority of their social connections – to organise real-life connections; setting dates, times and locations and travelling from far and wide to meet in person. To me, this is clear evidence that young people are desperately craving tangible human interactions. 

Our members also confirm this; each year 60,000 young people walk through our doors looking for social connections, inspiration and opportunities away from their phones – and to do so in a place where they feel welcome. The shortage of physical spaces designed for young people is at the heart of these ‘link ups’. A lack of places to have fun, make friends, learn and develop – driven by chronic underinvestment in youth provision – has left many young people with nowhere to go. This is why youth clubs like OnSide Youth Zones are so vital. Our activities ranging from climbing walls, recording studios for music and film, gyms, training kitchens and more, all powered by holistic support from dedicated youth workers and volunteers, give our young members the opportunity to thrive and, crucially, a place where they can belong. But there simply aren’t enough spaces like these across the country to meet the needs of young people. 

There are, however, some positive signs of change. Following the ‘link ups’ coverage, it was announced that London Mayor Sadiq Khan would be investing £30m into funding a late-night youth club in each of London’s 32 boroughs. Centralgovernment has also pledged £500m to improve youth services and tackle loneliness and unemployment, which will include youth club investment. Whilst these are most definitely welcome, they still will not come close to filling the gaping hole in too many communities. Our research shows that only one in ten young people (10%) have access to a youth club, but nine out of ten (92%) youth club attendees say it has made a positive difference. Giving more young people the opportunity to experience that positive difference will be reflected in the way they interact with the world around them.   

The ‘link ups’ were not without disruption, and it would be naïve to deny that a minority attended with the intention of causing trouble, but to describe all of them as ‘louts’ out to ’cause mayhem’ is a grave error to make. Young people coming together in large numbers tell us something, and it’s imperative that we listen.