Gen Z, the pandemic and the lessons we’ve learnt
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt across all generations. But for Gen Z, it was at a time in their lives when they were meant to explore, be adventurous, find themselves and start to live independently. At home or whilst studying.
We all know that where you live has a significant impact on wellbeing and mental health. In the middle of the pandemic, when students were isolated in their student accommodation or their home separated from their peers and studies, the place they stayed played a key role in their experience of 2020. So, how did this generation fair during the pandemic, and how did student accommodation experiences impact this?
The Guardian has surveyed 16 to 25 year olds across Europe about their pandemic experiences. The responses are insightful, sad, often angry, and a mix of hopeful and worried about the future.
It's well documented, but the impact on mental health and wellbeing has been vast. It was a significant issue pre-pandemic, and the last couple of years would have made the mental health crisis for young people even deeper. Many participants responded that the pandemic made them feel depressed, less confident, hopeless, anxious, and furious. One respondent reported that she lost hope in her college studies and decided to drop out. Another respondent said that he cannot believe in a good future, although he always felt happy and was a dreamer before the pandemic.
One of the reasons that the pandemic affected young people negatively is the isolation from their friends and family. Many young people who lived in student accommodation faced a situation of being away from their home for a long time, which made them spend most of their time in their rooms – alone, anxious and increasing the risks of depression.
We recently carried out a survey and held a focus group for our Youth Forum which focused on Gen Z and wellbeing insight. The results confirmed the importance of social interaction for students, with 84.5% stating that they expect a landlord to create a space that has a positive impact on interaction with peers.
The relationships students had with their fellow flatmates had a big impact on wellbeing. It made it easier to socialise and manage their mental wellbeing, whereas, a flat with challenging dynamics put added pressure on them to socialise outside of their living environment. Students also spoke about how important it was to them to reduce screen time after Covid moved so much of our lives online.
Listening to Europe's Gen Z responses in the Guardian and pairing this with those we have spoken to in the sector, engaging your customer in the resident experience and how you make decisions is one that the industry always knew but maybe slightly lost touch with. The pandemic has helped reset this for the better, and accommodation providers should now reach out to its new cohort and build a community experience that meets the needs of first and second-year students who will need to orientate to lives on campus.
Looking back at The Guardian survey, overwhelming Gen Z has felt their needs have been ignored. This is a lesson for those in student accommodation and beyond. The role of communication in customer service is vital. It is often overlooked, but we are advocates of making communication a key strand in your strategy at The Property Marketing Strategists. We hope this is a lesson learned in the pandemic and one we can all keep. At the end of the day, we are all human, and the pandemic has exposed that more than any other time. Listening, learning and communicating with each other means we can adapt, respond and deliver with more agility for our customers.
If you need assistance on communications or developing your business, The Property Marketing Strategists can help. Contact us to find out more.
References:
Cromarty, H., Hubble, S., and Wilson, W. (2021) UK Parliament: House of Commons Library: Coronavirus: Student accommodation in England. Available from: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus-student-accommodation/ [Accessed 3 June 2021].
The Guardian (2021) News: Europe's In their own words. 'So many revolutions to lead': Europe's Gen Z on their post-Covid future. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2021/jun/02/so-many-revolutions-to-lead-europe-generation-z-on-their-post-covid-future [Accessed 3 June 20