This post was originally published on this site
Generation Z and younger millennials have gotten quite a bit of flack during the pandemic for flouting social distancing rules, lockdowns, masks and other COVID-19 safety measures.
But members of the Gen Z generation are actually very concerned about the pandemic as they return to campus — and overwhelmingly in support of COVID-19 policies, according to a new survey.
Of the more than 2,500 students polled, 83% said college COVID-19 policies, like masks and vaccine requirements, are a major factor in going back to school. The survey, conducted by Tallo — an online networking platform for students — also found that 77% of students are worried about contracting COVID, and 83% are concerned about spreading it to a family member.
Some colleges have been hesitant to require the COVID vaccines, but a number of schools announced they would be mandating the vaccine after the Pfizer
PFE,
and BioNTech
BNTX,
vaccine received full FDA approval earlier this week.
And a majority of students are on board with vaccine mandates. The Tallo survey found that 68% of students reported they are likely to attend a college requiring COVID-19 vaccinations, and 86% believe it’s important for unvaccinated people to wear masks in public spaces. A smaller survey from TimelyMD had similar findings. Of the more than 1,000 college students they surveyed, 87% supported mask mandates and 85% were in favor of vaccine mandates.
These findings track with earlier surveys of Gen Z’s feelings towards the pandemic. A Harris Poll from nearly a year ago found that the majority of Gen Z feels a social responsibility to help the U.S. get over the pandemic. Nearly eight in 10 Gen Z-ers reported strictly following mask guidelines and urging others to do the same.
What the fall semester holds for students returning to campus is still uncertain. It seemed momentarily as if it might be a relatively normal school year, but the surging delta variant and lagging vaccination rates has called that hope into question.
And students have tapped into that uncertainty: 79% of Gen Z students are worried about school being forced to go virtual again this year due to COVID, the Tallo survey found.
Still, vaccination rates among Gen Z are faltering. Just 46.9% of those between the ages of 18-24 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Mayo Clinic. And 58.2% of Gen Z have received at least one shot, compared with 71.3% of the total eligible U.S. population.
