We have recently received lots of reports stating the increase of anti-social behavior amongst youth in Jersey. The number of young spending people aiming to flee the island when they come of age is shocking.
So we went out last wednesday and interviewed some students on king street, all under 18. We were baffled by what they had say- a real eye opener!
16 year old Hannah had a lot to say when asked whether she was planning to leave Jersey. “Eventually yes, I do want to leave. I want to move to the UK. It’s much too expensive to stay in this island with the way things are going. I’ve been working part-time in Iceland and even with my staff discount my weekly shop is still over £90. I can’t afford to live like this while also taking care of my sick brother. In the UK I would be spending £40.”
This was very interesting to hear. Hannah told us what she usually buys in a week to put her hardships in to perspective. “I usually buy the basics then use any extra money to buy snacks and treats. I buy two frozen pizzas for late nights after work, a loaf of bread, chicken fillets, sausages, potatoes, eggs, milk, bacon, oranges, grapes and tea bags. This is what we need to keep going but it always ends up costing an insane amount of money for the products.”
📷Pictured: Lucie and Hannah, at a loss of what to do on the island with facilities for young people depleting rapidly.
We then spoke to her friend, Lucie. Lucie is a young carer to her mother and is the biggest economy in the household, therefore her contribution to the weekly food shop and also paying for her extra-curriculars is important. She said: “I have had to give up lots of my hobbies recently in order to afford food and heating for me and my mother. She is unemployed and receives minimal funding from the government due to unforeseen circumstances so I have to step in and help. I gave up my two favorite sports; hockey and badminton, in order to get a part-time job and support me and my mother. I think there should definitely be more sports opportunities at sixth-forms, free of cost. I would have loved to still engage in these sports but I just can’t afford it and don’t have time.”
It is very sad to see young people having to drop out of doing what they love in order to provide for their families at an age where it shouldn’t be necessary to have to do so. Inflation in Jersey has certainly skyrocketed since the pandemic leaving Jersey’s youth scared for their futures.
We also spoke to Henry who is aged 15, while he was at work in M&S. He said: “I’ve been working since I was 14 in order to save for university so I can finally leave this silly island. I am lucky enough to live in a stable household in the countryside and I have never had to worry about my next meal however I am uncertain about how I will manage when living on my own. Therefore, I am doing my best to balance college and work so I can live a healthy and enjoyable life in university. I do not plan on returning to Jersey after university.”
It seems the youth today are viewing university as an escape from Jersey rather than a key to their academic lives. This is definitely worrying and we emphasize with the young people of Jersey during these uncertain and tough times.
We asked 14 year old Kara if she liked living in Jersey. Her response was: “I love Jersey. It is a beautiful island with fascinating culture and I have loved growing up here. Nonetheless, I will not be able to afford to sustain a sensible lifestyle in Jersey after I leave home. Housing prices are through the roof for even a one-bedroom flat and it is terrifying. I have not had the opportunity to work yet, however I have been trying relentlessly. Not being able to get a job is also frightening to me. I am conflicted about this whole situation.”
The lack of jobs for young people in Jersey is also unsettling as these children want to make their own money and save for their adult lives. It seems that opportunities for under-18s are decreasing at worrying rates- we are thinking of perhaps creating a jobs column in our newspaper to increase the number of young people working and also to encourage them to read the news more.
📷Pictured: Youths making the most of natural hang-out spots and historical locations in order to cure boredom.
Several of the people we spoke to described Jersey as increasingly boring, with activities becoming more and more expensive and sparse. They say that space for playing sports is becoming more rare and people get angry with them no matter where they go, claiming that adult residents are too harsh towards the youth nowadays. We can definitely understand the lack of things to do in the island and empathize with you all, however we believe things are looking up with the introduction of new spaces such as the Les Quennevais skatepark and new play-areas built within housing estates.
So what do you think? Is it justified that young people are so hesitant to stay and desperate to flee the island? How has Jersey changed since you were young? Is it scary to you? If you did leave Jersey, where would you go and why?
Let us know your opinions for the chance to be in next weeks article which will include a follow up to this article
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