The lost generation? How Covid shaped the lives of young Muslims
Five years on, young people share their memories of lockdown and how the experience changed them
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They have been dubbed the “lost generation” — those aged between seven to 24 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, deprived of key years of education and socialising during successive lockdowns.
Numerous studies have shown the pandemic had a severe effect on young people. British Muslims, who have a younger demographic profile than the UK average, experienced a much larger decline in mental health than the rest of the population during lockdown — a trend that has persisted. But it also affected some in positive ways, such as bringing them closer to their faith.
Four young Muslims spoke to Hyphen about how Covid and its aftermath shaped their lives.
Bohir Aqbal Saiq, 18
Bohir is from London. He was 13 when the UK first went into lockdown in March 2020.
I remember feeling so confused at the time. When school closed in March, the teachers would set us little tasks during the week just to keep up with subjects. But no one took online learning seriously. People would log on to a lesson at 9am and then go back to sleep. I didn’t do that, but I still felt disengaged — often I’d just screenshot all the lesson notes and then write them down at the end of the day.
I think I was very affected by not being in a learning environment. Your room is where you’re meant to relax and without being in my school uniform I just wasn’t in the right mindset to learn. Half the time, you’re just lying in bed with your laptop open.
My concentration has decreased over time and I think now I get more easily distracted by my phone. Previously, my parents were fairly strict with screen time but they became more relaxed during lockdown as we had to be on these devices for school. In a way, spending all that time on screens made us lazier.
Still, it helped with my feelings of loneliness, which I really struggled with. Although I had my family of five and we would play games and have barbecues to try and make the lockdown fun, I was used to being in school and around other people every day.
Five years later, I’ve noticed a big change in myself. I’ve become more extroverted and confident. After feeling so isolated during lockdown, I now make more of an effort to put myself out there and talk to new people. And knowing I had that pause in education, I’m now a mentor to younger students to give them the support I didn’t have.
I’m excited for what the future might hold, whether that’s going straight to university or taking a gap year and travelling. For now, my options are open. It’s a relief knowing that there aren’t any constraints now, especially when it comes to my education.
Hanna Abbas, 20
Hanna from Manchester turned 16 during the second lockdown in November 2020.
At first I was just excited not to have school for a couple of weeks. I would wake up early and go skating at sunrise.
At the time, my family was living in Pakistan, so it was just my sister — who was my guardian — and me in the house. We both enjoy having our own space so it was nice to be living together just the two of us. My sister spent the second lockdown in Pakistan so I lived with my grandparents. I found it harder without her. It was like a piece was missing.
I still feel that I missed out on some key teenage years. We didn’t get a prom and we didn’t get the year 11 trips where you stay somewhere for a few nights. They are pivotal moments for socialising. There’s still a sense of resentment within me because you can’t get those big life moments back.
During those months spent indoors I became a lot more reclusive. I’m quite socially awkward anyway, so Covid definitely heightened that for me. I also struggled with online learning. By the time I went back to school in September, I fell out of education. I didn’t do that well in the rest of my time in high school and that carried on when I got to college. It was like a domino effect. We hadn’t sat exams for my GCSEs, so I was quite overwhelmed. I ended up dropping out of college after six months. I was at rock bottom.
But I went on to do an apprenticeship in marketing instead and now I’m studying the same subject at university in Manchester. I really enjoy it and want to eventually get into fashion marketing.
I might not have found this path had it not been for the changes Covid brought in my life. In a way, being isolated for so long helped me discover more about myself — I became much more into fashion and found my own style by watching videos online.
I may not have had those group experiences out in the world like other kids, but I still managed to find something I’m really passionate about.
Ayna Ahmed, 22
Ayna is from London and turned 18 during the first lockdown.
I was in my last year of sixth form preparing for my A-levels when lockdown hit. When we found out we weren’t going to sit exams, you’d think the students would be really excited, but we were all worried about how this would affect university admissions.
Our school was talking about just giving us our predicted grades and letting us be on our way. I think the teachers lost their willingness. In the end, they amplified the marks a bit so our grades aren’t fully honest. To this day, I don’t know if I would have got those grades to get into university to study journalism, which I’m doing now.
Looking back, I was really suffering mentally. My work ethic just wasn’t there and my lowest points felt lower. I had been receiving counselling before Covid through school because I wasn’t happy with some things at home, so when the lockdown happened, I felt very resentful towards my parents because I wasn’t able to get the support I needed. When you go through a dip, it can feel like everyone’s against you. I felt really alone. It was around that time that I started having frequent panic attacks.
The only thing that really helped me was praying. Before Covid, I wasn’t great with my prayers, but as my anxiety got worse I started praying more regularly. That time made me value my religion and understand the importance of prayer. It was incredibly cathartic.
My depression and anxiety still ebbs and flows, but I’m a lot more resilient. Lockdown either made or broke you and luckily it didn’t completely break me. Now, any time I have a really low period, I know that I’ll come out fine afterwards. That whole experience made sure that you’re adaptable to anything that is thrown your way.
Sahar Bosty, 25
Sahar is from Birmingham and turned 21 during the first lockdown.
Covid still feels like a fever dream. It set us all back developmentally. I’m 25 now, but I still feel like I’m mentally in my early twenties.
I was studying my first year of biology at Aston University in 2020. I feel like a fraud in some ways. We didn’t gain any practical experience for those two years — even though we’re a practical degree — but we still paid the same amount for university. My classmates and I used to joke that one of us might release the next Covid variant by accident because we have no experience in the lab.
Our lectures were all moved online and I used to treat them like a podcast I’d listen to in the background while doing other things on my phone. There just wasn’t the same level of interaction so it was harder to concentrate.
I believe I’ve developed ADHD. I’ve noticed I’m a lot more restless and I get constant brain fog and I struggle with finishing tasks. The concentration issue seems to be a common experience among our generation. When we returned to university in the final year, there were fewer people turning up to lectures. I think there were just too many distractions while we were at home for so long — our phones, TV and family.
It goes without saying that many of us suffered with our mental health. I was living at home with my parents and two sisters and we argued a lot more than usual. It’s like you’re all locked in a cage together, but I still felt so alone. With lockdown after lockdown, I remember thinking “I can’t do this any more”. It was too much.
As a result, I turned to my faith, whereas before I would only practice during Ramadan. The only person I could talk to and lean on was God. Because of how close I got with my deen during Covid, I know now that whatever is meant to happen is already written for me — it’s not in my control.
I do feel like I missed out on a big part of my life. Maybe I could have gone travelling, but in reality, my plans didn’t change too much. I’m now a science teacher in Birmingham and that’s what I had always wanted to do.
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