Don't blame the students for rising Covid-19 rates when the government has backtracked, U-turned and nosedived like a rollercoaster - YEP letters

DURING a global crisis, in which we’ve just passed the benchmark of one million worldwide deaths, I would hazard a guess that there’s better things to do with your time than moan about students.

“Boomer versus younger generation” discourse has been a repeat cycle of “participation trophies”, “sensitive snowflakes” and “when I was your age (insert inaccurate anachronism coloured in the lens of nostalgia)”.

So much so that I don’t think older people realise that younger people are just people. But younger. The incompetence of the UK government in setting out clear advice and guidelines has been undeniable.

They’ve backtracked, U-turned and nosedived like a rollercoaster for the sake of putting the abstract idea of “economy” over real tangible lives.

They’ve refused to bail out universities failing during Covid due to their profit-driven business models and encouraged us all to go back to our uni towns.

Considering it is this or having no financial help whatsoever, it is clear to me why so many students are carrying on their education.

If I could blame any demographic for the most harm, it would be the rich and those in positions of power, not young people doing what they’ve more or less been told to do.

Young people are on the front lines with people-facing customer service jobs for meagre wages as that’s the only job sector they have access to. Obviously, they’re going to be more in contact with the virus.

This could have all been avoided with the proper government response and comprehensive financial assistance for everyone so that we could stay at home.

Though there are some young people who choose to be reckless, I maintain that it is because of a lack of information or they happen to be entitled and inconsiderate people, not due to some malignant illness that arises from not being 40 yet.

Stay safe, wear your masks or face shields, and I look forward to the end of the pandemic.