Media use during the coronavirus period
According to parents from the National Parent Panel, the closure of schools affected children's media use. 41 percent of parents who worked from home because of coronavirus said they allowed more media use. Of the parents who did not work from home, as many as 50 percent allowed their children more screen time. The parents indicated that keeping children occupied without school and other forms of leisure activities is a difficult task (Opvoedinformatie Nederland, 2020).
Children's physical activity
According to 40 percent of parents with children between the ages of 4 and 11, their children became less physically active in April, when schools were closed and no organised activities were taking place. This is evident from research by the Mulier Institute. The comparison was made with how much the children exercised in previous years around this time. 58 percent of parents experience barriers to encouraging their children to be physically active (Slot-Heijs, de Jonge, Lucassen & Singh, 2020).
Distance learning during the coronavirus period
Most children had contact with their teacher once or twice a week (34 percent). This contact most often took place via video calls or through a livestream with several classmates. 5 percent of parents indicated that their child had no contact with the teacher during distance learning (Opvoedinformatie Nederland, 2020).
Well-being during the coronavirus crisis
More than half of young people (55 percent) between the ages of 18 and 24 feel lonelier during the coronavirus measures than before, according to research by I&O Research. Young people appear to have been hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis in this regard. Between March and May 2020, there was a sharp increase in feelings of loneliness among young people. In March, the percentage of young people who felt lonelier because of the coronavirus crisis was still 49 percent (van Engeland & Kanne, 2020).
Employment and the coronavirus crisis
Young people in particular have been hit hard economically during the coronavirus crisis, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). In April, the unemployment rate among 15- to 25-year-olds (seasonally adjusted) rose to 8.4 percent, compared with 6.3 percent in the previous month. In total, there were more than 100,000 fewer employed young people in April than in March, a decline of 7.5 percent. Since CBS's first measurement in 2003 of the number of employed 15- to 25-year-olds per month, no larger monthly decline than 1.4 percent had ever been recorded.
The sharp increase in unemployment can partly be explained by the fact that the hardest-hit sectors employ many young people in particular. At the beginning of this year, the largest proportion of 15- to 25-year-olds (29 percent) worked in food and beverage services. In addition, many young people have temporary contracts or work through employment agencies. In the first quarter of 2020, only 36 percent of 15- to 25-year-olds had a permanent employment relationship. Among young people without a basic qualification, nearly 80 percent did not have a permanent employment relationship. 715,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 25 combine education with a job on a flexible contract, and 44,000 young people are self-employed (Statistics Netherlands, 2020).
Youth care provided during the coronavirus period
Youth care has been severely affected by the coronavirus crisis. Research by consultancy Gupta shows that 30,000 of the 443,265 young people receiving youth care in the Netherlands temporarily received no care during the measures. In addition, care was temporarily modified or reduced for approximately 130,000 young people. Day treatment and diagnostic services were cancelled, and much of the outpatient care took place partly online (Grupta Strategists, 2020).
Parents' satisfaction with distance learning
Research by Opvoedinformatie Nederland, Ouders & Onderwijs and Kassa shows that parents are generally satisfied with the measures schools took to ensure that education could continue during the coronavirus pandemic. Two out of three parents indicated that they were satisfied with how the school organised distance learning. In addition, 70 percent of parents were satisfied with their contact with the teacher during this period (Opvoedinformatie Nederland, 2020).
Parents and work
65 percent of the parents from the National Parent Panel indicated that they work from home because of the pandemic. Of the parents working from home, 65 percent combine work with raising their child or children. More than one-third of parents indicated that they divide childcare into shifts with their partner; when one parent works for part of the day, the other parent looks after the child (Opvoedinformatue Nederland, 2020).