"I See All of the Inequality, I See All of the Prejudice, I See All of the Systemic Issues and Abuses and Ideally Those Would be Dismantled," a Mixed-Methods Analysis of Youth's Desired Futures in Ontario

Background & Purpose

The COVID 19 pandemic exacerbated various intersecting challenges young people face. Unprecedented disruptions and uncertainty across education, employment, social lives, and financial outlook have increased youth anxieties as they wrestle with the disparity between the society they are inheriting and the one they aspire to create. These changes require us to reconsider what constitutes a youth-friendly society and how we can best support young people to be able to achieve their social, career, financial and community goals. This study seeks to answer two research questions 1) How do youth in Ontario conceptualize a ‘good life’ in the context of COVID 19? and 2) How can policy makers foster a more youth-friendly environment in Ontario?

Methods

This study utilized a mixed-methods design. Electronic surveys (N=3343) and in depth, semi-structured interviews (N= 82) with youth from across Ontario were conducted over the telephone in late Fall 2021. Interview and survey respondents were ages 16-29 and represented diverse geographic, economic, gender, and racial groups. Youth participants were asked about their experiences with COVID-19, education and employment experiences, their future goals, and their views on society. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive, correlational analyses, t-tests and ANOVAS. Qualitative data were transcribed and analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis. Coders (n=3) developed initial codebooks and themes for each region in Ontario (Central, Southwestern, Eastern and Northern). The codebooks were combined and collapsed through reflexive discussion across geographic regions to result in overarching themes. Survey and interview findings were triangulated to gain a deeper understanding of youth desires for their futures in Ontario.

Results

Youth across Ontario identified four priority areas for a good life including 1) addressing economic concerns, 2) increasing accessible opportunities for personal and professional growth, 3) improving mental health support and, 4) addressing racial, environmental, and social injustice. Youth shared worries about the growing cost of living and need for affordable housing, accessible education, and job opportunities to support themselves and their families. Youth highlighted the mental health crisis and inadequate support for services that meet the needs of Ontario’s diverse youth population. Finally, youth raised serious concerns about racism, ableism, attacks on queer communities, and unsustainable climate policy that prevent their communities from thriving. To address the myriad challenges youth identified progressive policy changes such as free post-secondary education, universal basic income programs and increased funding for youth programming. Youth also demanded more representative governments to address injustice across Ontario.

Conclusions & Implications

Youth from across Ontario demonstrate a nuanced and critical analysis of current social conditions, a desire for things to improve, and shared creative ideas to promote positive change. Young people in Ontario feel worried about their futures and deserve to have meaningful opportunities to influence society’s trajectory. Government leaders, social service workers, and community organizers must promote youth leadership and incorporate youth priorities in future planning to achieve a society where youth are able to achieve their economic, relational, and individual goals.