243
Views
2
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original article

A photovoice study on youth’s experience of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, , , , ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon show all
Pages 161-170 | Received 17 Feb 2022, Accepted 22 Jul 2022, Published online: 11 Aug 2022
 

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The coronavirus disease pandemic and social distancing measures have threatened young people living in an underdeveloped region of Indonesia. Very little is currently known about how youth experience social distancing during the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the lived experience of this group within a large-scale social distancing context.

Design

Data were collected using a photovoice and participatory video approach with 15 young people in West Timor, Indonesia.

Results

The results of the study explain motives for maintaining social distancing protocol, self-improvement activities during the quarantine, and changes that occurred in social dynamics.

Conclusion

Implications of the results are discussed with consideration of risk factors hindering the youth’s well-being.

KEY POINTS

What is already known about this topic:

(1) Unemployment threatens young people during the pandemic.

(2) Young people experience poor mental health due to social isolation.

(3) Distance learning execution is not adequate for youth in developing areas.

What this topic adds:

(1) Photovoice helps young people’s voices in developing areas to be heard.

(2) Policymakers in under-developed areas need to facilitate youth with various online skill-improving activities that are accessible, since not every youth has access to good internet reception.

(3) Providing family-based intervention to social distancing issues faced by youth in developing areas might provide better results.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Virginia Fernandez and Jhon Adu for their contributions as research assistants in this study and Durrah Sharifah Ahmad Azlan for proofreading the final version.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.