“Don’t call us snowflakes!”

Youngsters want the Government to listen to them and tackle climate change

YOUNGSTERS want politicians to be honest, to tackle global warming - and to listen to what they have to say ‘sometimes children are because, right'.

A Government survey carried out by the Office of National Statistics sheds new light on what makes a happy life for children in Britain today.

Using a sample group of youngsters aged between 10 and 15 from across the UK, children were asked a series of questions in an attempt to discover what affects their happiness and well being.

The survey found that feeling safe and having strong, supportive and loving relationships with family was most important.

But many children wanted more family time and for parents to pay them more attention by ‘ spending less time on their phones'.

The survey also found that children feel alienated by adults who describe members of Generation Z as ‘special snowflakes' and use expressions such as ‘back in my day'.

While the youngsters expressed both optimism and pessimism for the future, they were worried about global warming and wanted the Government to do more to protect the planet.

Children said they wanted a stable, honest, and competent government which responded to their needs and listened to their views.

One Welsh teenager interviewers: “Government listen to children. told don't

"We would just appreciate a stable government, or the government to be honest, one that's all together... [and] one that actually knows what they're doing."

The youngsters expressed admiration for environmental activist Greta Thunberg, with some saying they wanted to get involved in activities to improve the environment, such as recycling or planting trees.

They warned adults need to do more to reduce their carbon footprints and preserve the environment for future generations.

One English child, whose age was given as between 10 and 12, said: “Adults should start really seriously thinking about, 'we've done all this stuff, why don't we start saying hang on, this is not right, and start correcting ourselves'?"

Another said: “They should listen to children because sometimes the children are right.”

The discussions with 10 focus groups of children took place between September 2019 and February this year - so don't take into account the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on mental health and well being.

The majority of the interviews took place in the months leading up to Britain's formal departure from the European Union on January 31.

Many youngsters expressed uncertainty about what was likely to happen after that date and how well the process was being handled.

A Scottish child, aged between 10 and 12, said: “We can send people into space, but they can't do Brexit.”

Eleanor Rees, head of the social well-being analysis team for the ONS, said: "Today's research gives a fascinating insight into the things that children say matter for a happy life, including feeling that their views are being listened to by decision makers.

"The children spoke to us before the pandemic took hold, and many aspects of life they spoke of, from time with friends and family and having enough to eat to what they

"I think a lot of [young] people ... feel like their parents can't relate to them, or don't understand them."

need to have a happy future, may have been impacted over the past six months.

“This may give the findings an additional value in understanding how to support children during these times."