Why 1 in 8 young people in UK is not studying or working

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Note echoes of 'tangping' here...

Nearly a million young people in the UK are classified as NEETs, a term referring to people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training.

only one in four Brits aged 16 to 27 agrees that everyone has a fair chance to go as far as their hard work and talent will take them – the lowest share of all the age groups.

For a sense of how deeply this is impacting young people, consider the rise of so-called loneliness influencers, who romanticise being single, friendless and living alone. You can find their videos on TikTok and Instagram with captions such as, “POV: you live alone in NYC and have no friends so your nights look like this”, showing 20-somethings, typically women, eating a sad solo meal at home and drinking soda out of wine glasses in front of the TV.

Even the act of applying for jobs – an essential one for those hoping to escape NEET-dom – has been sapped of human contact. ....Rejection e-mails are automated or absent, and it is never clear if anyone has actually looked at the application. In a truly dystopian twist, video interviews are now being conducted by artificial intelligence. For those stuck in a rejection cycle, this eliminates the chance for constructive feedback – or just the reassurance that their efforts are recognised by another person.

Studies show that extended social isolation is associated with health risks comparable to those of obesity and smoking. It can also interrupt cognitive development and critical milestones such as identity formation.

For issues on loneliness and youth