Pandemic fortunes – “Generation Z”: the great fears and high goals

It was a day in the spring of 2021, the sky was a clear blue, the temperature pleasantly warm. Around noon, Martina Leibovici-Mühlberger left her practice in Vienna-Neubau and went to a nearby park to relax and enjoy the sun. And immediately she saw two boys sitting in a sandbox who were just having a “fight” over which of them should be the “driver” of a plastic truck that stood between them.

Social Phobias – After Contact Restrictions
“A very normal scene,” recalls the well-known doctor and psychotherapist. A scene that – as she writes in her new book “How we save our children” – “but quickly escalated”. When the mother of one of the children got involved and started insulting the other.

Keeping your distance is a duty, and the danger of corona contamination is ubiquitous – according to her accusations, as she charged at her little one and then quickly took him in her arms to prevent him from having further contact with his playmate. “A scene,” summarizes Leibovici-Mühlberger, “that has probably happened countless times in the same way around the world since the outbreak of the pandemic.”

Triggered by the accompanying – albeit necessary – demands, “which, however, have caused enormous damage to our children and young people”. What the facts show: The number of minors who now require psychological and sometimes even drug care – mainly because of depression and panic attacks – is higher than ever before, and the suicide rate in this age group has also risen sharply.

“Potentially Caused Fears”
Back to the two boys who were separated – almost violently – in the sandbox in a park in the spring of 2021. According to Leibovici-Mühlberger, what effects did this experience have on both of them? “They were shown that interactions with ‘strangers’ – which are so important to them – should be avoided. This may have caused them anxiety.” Which could hinder their personal development and eventually even cause social phobias.

“More and more often,” says the psychotherapist, “in my practice I am confronted with children who now consciously withdraw from the outside world and who suffer from, for example, compulsive washing – in their enormous fear of becoming infected with the virus, which can later spread to older children, transferring relatives and thus in the worst case causing their death.” Behavioral patterns, panic feelings generated in the boys by the government, the media, society, their parents: “Because it always said they were the great Drivers of the plague.”

As an example, Martina Leibovici-Mühlberger also reports in her book about a high school student who was homeschooled during the Covid measures; hardly any opportunities to meet friends – “involuntarily voluntarily” in a “cocoon of loneliness” and at some point just don’t want to leave. In the apparent safety of her room, she had gradually built up a parallel universe, far from ‘real life’.

No more cameras, no more meetings
“In her sluggishness, she ate more and therefore gained weight. At the same time, she saw photos of them and various influencers on social media – with which she now mainly communicated with her classmates because her insecurity, her complexes had long been exaggerated: “That is why she finally refused the turning on the camera during computer lessons; therefore she totally refused face-to-face meetings.”

The student’s behaviour, distance wishes – not an isolated phenomenon: “The pandemic, the resulting regulations, the fear of the virus – that has changed a lot for many of us. Young people probably the most.” On the negative side Sudden being ripped out of “normal” Not being allowed to interact with others “in phases where this is of particular importance for the development of the ego” was not without consequences.

“Domestic problems become clearer”
“In addition, the problems that were already there were given a boost, as it were.” The ‘trend’ to chat and communicate less often face-to-face has increased; moreover, the domestic problems had become more apparent and noticeable. “Of course, children and young people from problem families were affected – sometimes to extremes.” Because in seclusion they noticed the quarrels of the parents even more than before; because some mothers and fathers were unable to do at least some of the teachers’ work.

How to help boys and girls? “By being made aware that every crisis is an opportunity.” Becoming “better” yourself, having a positive effect on the community. Corona has shown our society – which is characterized by an ever-growing narcissism – just how vulnerable we really are: “Not only through disease, but also through natural disasters – and currently the war in Ukraine.”

The “Generation Z” – they show themselves sensitive; regarding climate change, “and stopping mechanisms of exploitation and eliminating inequalities. So today’s youth can become the saviors of our planet.”

The dramas of the little ones
“I love children very much, so from childhood it was my dream to be a kindergarten teacher,” says Maximilian H. (name changed). And “of course” he did the training for it later. “In my first job, in a private company, everything was great. Together with two colleagues I took care of 15 boys and girls. So we had sufficient resources to provide them with the best possible care.”

But then the subsidies were stopped, “and I switched to a limited liability company”. Where the work from the start – “because usually only responsible for 25 children of different ages” – was barely manageable.

“Little time to get serious with the little ones”
A situation that – according to the 28-year-old – worsened when the pandemic broke out: “After all, I had to isolate my protégés from each other as best I could. And I had to constantly disinfect toys. Of course, there was not much time left to deal seriously with the little ones. Although they really needed extreme attention from me, many of them were exposed to stressful situations at home by their parents, who were plagued by job loss and consequent existential fears.”

In February 2022, Maximilian H. noticed that he could not cope with the pressures of his dream job, “that I was running into a burnout. So I pulled the rope.” He quit – and took a job in retail: “It pays – despite less responsibility and work hours – better than the one I learned. Which I find completely absurd.”

Difficult to find staff
Theresa Plöchl, manager of the “Hairdreams-Couture-Salon in Vienna”, had long been used to “finding students quickly when we needed them. In fact, we even received countless blind applications all the time.” As the training opportunities in the company are extensive, besides dyeing, cutting, blow-drying, also the art of hair extensions is learned, now the search for personnel has become difficult.

“Not like 200, but only a few candidates responded to a recent vacancy. It seems,” says Plöchl, “as if young people lost their motivation during the pandemic.”

“My daughter became depressed”
Maria K’s daughter Melanie (both names have changed) was 15 when the pandemic hit. “As strange as it may sound, in the beginning I was even happy with the associated conditions,” recalls the mother. Because at the time the girl was just in a “storm-and-urge phase” “and had become quite uncontrollable for me as a result”. In any case, homeschooling and contact restrictions would soon have made Melanie more accessible, “but the longer the distance measures lasted, the more unhappy she became”.

The high school student suddenly ate – secretly – a lot, gained almost ten kilos and eventually just wanted to chat with her peers. And she started having panic attacks and depression. “My husband and I then arranged for psychotherapeutic care for her – and we persuaded her to meet her two best friends,” says the 42-year-old. Meanwhile, her daughter seems to have overcome her mental depression – almost, “And I’m really happy about that.”