Young people say their digital education has to improve. After lockdown, that really matters

Covid-19 has only accelerated the trend toward jobs which demand high levels of digital literacy, says Snapchat's Claire Valoti

Young people are unhappy with the education they've been offered online during lockdown (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Every day, children and young people are being told that Covid-19 is a crisis about their future, as well as their present. Not only are one billion young people out of education, but those just old enough to be in the working world are twice as likely to have lost their jobs or been furloughed as adults.

A huge part of this insecurity results from the complete upheaval of the way they learn, with schools and colleges needing more time to create remote lessons delivered on digital platforms. Teachers are now spending their summer breaks working out how to do this well; they're realising it might be something they're expected to do for the long term.

The result? Snapchat’s own research shows that more than half of young people feel lockdown has negatively impacted their education, with 61 per cent of those between 13 and 17 feeling dissatisfied. The pressure on them to perform in such unprecedented circumstances - and to grow up fast - is immense.