Canadian kids bored, missing friends, unhappy with homeschooling: poll

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Seventy-one per cent of Canadian kids say the word that best describes how they’ve been feeling over the last few weeks is “bored,” according to a new poll from Angus Reid.

“While adults expressed the burdens of worry and anxiety, children primarily and intensely report feeling bored,” according to the institute.

Forty-one percent of those surveyed say they feel good, while 33 per cent describe themselves as lonely.

The poll set out to see how kids between 10 and 17 are coping as their lives have been drastically changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just eight per cent of kids say they miss going to school while 52 per cent miss seeing their friends.

“A significant portion of Canadian kids say relationships with their friends have worsened amidst the stay-at-home orders. Despite staying in touch through mobile communication and social media, one-in-four say that their friendships have been negatively impacted,” the report reads.

Worries among young people include missing out on school next year, to their parents getting sick, to tension in their households.

Most children are learning online and three quarters say they’re keeping up with lessons.

But six out of 10 kids say they dislike homeschooling and are unmotivated.

Aside from schoolwork, 88 per cent say screen time is how they fill their days.

“Canadian children across all age groups canvassed report watching TV, streaming services, or YouTube. Video games and texting are also high up on the list of things to do, with variations by age. Teenagers are more likely to be spending time on social media, while younger kids are more likely to be playing – in decidedly more low-tech way,” according to the report.