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News from the NOS•today, 13:11
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After two years of the coronavirus crisis, many young Dutch people are facing a crisis that often has just as much influence on their lives: the energy crisis and the inflationary crisis. Yesterday it was announced that inflation in the Netherlands rose to 17.1 percent in September, a record.
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For teens from disadvantaged families, this means more than once: not being able to take a (hot) shower, unintentionally gaining weight because healthy food is too expensive and big worries about their future. This is evident from the stories hundreds of young people have shared online with NOS Stories.
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Of the nearly 2,000 young people who filled out an online NOS Stories questionnaire, half said they felt depressed or stressed more often after the energy and inflationary crisis. In addition, a quarter have fights in the house, ranging from “my parents get angry when my sister takes a hot bath” to “my mother is very scared and sad that it will only get worse”. Young people doubt even if they can still study or find a home.
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I use my laptop charger as a kind of pitcher
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Due to high energy bills, 17-year-old Shanna’s family decided to move in earlier this year. They left their home in Boskoop for another home in Budel, about 150 kilometers away. The main reason – excessive energy costs in the old house. The new house is smaller and the region is cheaper. “But I’m disappointed if my friends go out to do something fun in the evening and I can’t come with them. Because suddenly I have to travel three hours to see them.”
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Also, the new home so far isn’t really an improvement. Costs could be lower, even this house is not yet well insulated. The adjoining space where Shanna sleeps, “the barn”, is not yet isolated. And that’s why it’s already very cold there. “I sleep in a jogging suit, a sweater, two blankets, a heater and sometimes I use my laptop charger as a kind of hot water bottle. I let it warm up in the socket and then put it under the covers.” .
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She is also disappointed with the high costs of healthy food. The family depends on the food bank and also eats as cheaply as possible. “Although I’d actually like to lose weight. But healthy food is much more expensive, for example, than ready-made mashed potatoes.”
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19-year-old mother Yasira also struggles with high prices for healthy food. “After the birth of my son I wanted to be in better shape, to get back to my old weight. But it’s not easy if you always have to pay attention to what is cheap in the store.”
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It is no longer possible to do beautiful things with his family. “Six months ago we could sometimes go away for a day, to the hotel or by train to Belgium. It’s no longer possible.”
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Justin, 15, has other worries on his mind. As prices have risen, conversations at the kitchen table are increasingly about his future. “The question is really if I can continue playing football,” he says. “And I like to play football, to keep fit. And the social aspect is also very important to me. Otherwise you only have it at school.”
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For the moment it is not a question of stopping, but the concern is there. Just like for his future follow-up study. “It’s also about home, if all that can still be paid for.”
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NOS Stories spoke to Prime Minister Rutte about these young people and their concerns:
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“Really very bad,” Prime Minister Rutte calls the future concerns of teenagers. “Of course we try to do everything to improve the situation of young people. I think so the energy ceiling it will contribute a lot to this ”.
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However, there are also doubts about this. Nibud, an organization that provides information on money matters, claims to be raised off the roof. But the worries have not disappeared. “It is not yet very clear what that roof will mean,” a spokesperson for Nibud said. “Large families in poorly insulated homes could become the group that still has to pay. And: food is also expensive. We know from previous research that this can actually lead to less healthy food.”
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