Young people should be given free Netflix, online gaming and mobile data to boost numbers complying with self isolation, government scientific advisers have said.
The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) said compliance with coronavirus restrictions among 18-29 year olds was “substantially lower and declining” compared to other sections of the population.
This is partly down to the fact that young people are more likely to work in occupations with high social contacts and less access to sick pay, which may undermine their motivation to seek testing and their ability to isolate if they have symptoms, Sage said.
In a paper published on Friday, the scientists said the government should be given financial and other support, for example, “free mobile data, streaming and gaming”, to boost compliance with orders to stay at home or isolate.
The recommendations from the SPI-B (Independent Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours) group also warned that young people’s motivation to follow the rules was “undermined by lack of trust in government and lack of clear information”.
Ministers were therefore urged to consider using trusted, outside sources such as charities, celebrities, sports clubs and commercial brands to deliver communications about Covid restrictions.
Mass and social media campaigns should also use young people’s voices and be co-produced or piloted with young people, the paper said.
The advisers once again called for face-to-face learning to be banned at universities, which Boris Johnson refused to do when ordering the current four-week lockdown.