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Isak Palmaer believes that young people today are worried about the fluctuating labor market.
1 / 3Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT
“Shit that happens in the world”, recession and worries about unemployment are among the things that lower young people’s faith in the future. This is how some young people reason about the gloomy picture that this year’s youth barometer shows.
Political engagement, hope for the future and faith in democracy are decreasing among Swedish youth, according to the annual Youth Barometer, which is based on interviews with 15,000 young people aged 15-24.
Isak Palmaer is 19 years old and studies at Stockholm University. He can understand that young people may find it difficult to see the future brightly.
– You don’t have a lot of faith in the future in general when there is a lot of crap going on in the world, he says.
Tough job market
This is a picture that 16-year-old Alma Tuveson also shares.
– You see very boring things on TV or on social media about what is happening in the world and you automatically become depressed, says Alma Tuveson.
The number of young people who were registered as unemployed at the employment agency in December 2023 was 8.3 percent, an increase compared to the same period last year. Isak Palmaer believes that there is stress around the labor market among young people.
– It is a tough labor market right now with the recession, he says.
Sienna Birath, 16, emphasizes that even social media can influence how young people view their lives.
– You see every day how, for example, influencers have a lot of influence. I can see a trend of people wanting to change themselves to fit into the norm in society.
Isak Palmaer agrees.
– I have deleted all my social media, I got depressed from sitting and scrolling. At its worst, I spent five hours a day just sitting and scrolling and it really made me depressed. Now I feel that free time is a little more meaningful.
Worried outside world
According to the Youth Barometer, the percentage of young people who perceive life as safe is 58 percent compared to 71 percent in 2019. All three young people believe that the unrest in the outside world is the cause.
– I think most people walk around wondering what would happen if Sweden ended up at war with Russia, says Sienna Birath.
The survey also showed that those who identify themselves as anti-racist, feminist and environmentalist have decreased. Isak Palmaer feels that it may be due to a shift in society.
– It feels like there has perhaps been a slight backlash in society against such expressions as, for example, feminist. You might think it’s not as cool to express yourself about it anymore.