For the past few weeks, young people have been routinely blamed by the government for the rise in coronavirus cases. While 18- to 30-year-olds obviously have a proclivity for socialising, and some, a nonchalant attitude towards their health – which will have contributed to a spike in positive cases – it seems unfair to pile all the blame at their door for taking the inches that the government gave them. Mixed messages have been a staple of the government's communications strategy: “Eat out to help out”, the opening of pubs, and the encouragement to move into university halls of residence, only to be, in effect, locked up. Attempting to boost the economy by letting people do all of the above somehow has to live in harmony with social distancing and other precautionary measures. So the question is not how can we deter young people from acting youthfully, but how can we persuade them to do it safely? A government spokesperson told Campaign: “The government's coronavirus public information campaign aims to ensure people of all ages know what they need to do to slow the spread of the virus and save lives. Young people are a key audience for our campaign and we have used a range of channels – including TV, radio, print and social media to reach as many people as possible.
Read more at: https://www.campaignasia.com/article/instead-of-blaming-young-people-for-covid-engage-with-them/464525