Skip to main content

THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS: “IT ALL JUST FEELS LIKE IT’S DOWNHILL FROM HERE”

 by Emily Fletcher

In 2022, the Office for National Statistics disclosed that domestic gas prices have increased by 96% and domestic electricity prices by 54%. As well, 89% of adults in Great Britain reported an increase in their cost of living. There is an inevitable feeling of anxiety and fear felt by everyone.

In spite of the crisis affecting everyone, Gen-Z is particularly affected as they confront inflation for the first time.

The RSA revealed that almost half (47%) of young people are unable or just about managing to make ends meet each month, or have an income that constantly varies significantly. Young people are also more vulnerable to this ‘financially precarious’ group as they get older, with 57% of 22-24-year-olds in an uncertain financial situation, compared to 38% of 16-18-year-olds and 48% of 19-21-year-olds. 

Glassdoor research later revealed that 21% of 18 to 24-year-olds are worried about finding a job that supports the cost of living.

Darling reached out to people who are especially feeling the brunt of it all…

Jazmin, 24, London, (she/her)

“I’ve never felt like I’ve had a ‘home’ since my childhood [...] So, living in London for my career, and being in my mid-20s and practically being forced to continue house sharing with people who do not respect my space or surroundings, is soul-draining. Especially as the prospect of ever being able to have somewhere to call my ‘own’ feels impossible, the only way I’ll ever be able to do that is most likely with a partner. But that is not the pressure I want to put on my partner; I want to be able to know that I’ll be able to live on my own one day, off my own accord. 

Even if it is cheaper to live with three other people, I still don’t have enough money to then go out and enjoy life, ie. the cinema, a work lunch, a manicure…And then if I did move in with my partner, I’d get my own space, but then I’d have to give up more of my salary for rent and council tax [...] It all just feels like it’s downhill from here. Something has always got to be sacrificed".

Katie, 21, Northampton, (she/her)

“I have recently started my first full-time job and have moved back home with my parents. I have the goal to eventually move in with my boyfriend when the time is right and we have enough money saved - but if I didn’t move back in with my parents, I wonder what I would have done. It’s really anxiety-inducing to wonder how much things will continue to go up by the time I am able to move out and provide for myself completely”

Will, 22, Sheffield, (he/him)

“My mum and dad bought a house in the ’90s for £80,000 - it’s now worth over £300,000. This just proves that the price of houses has rocketed. It makes me feel stressed that I am not going to move out until a later age, being stuck at my parent's house in order to save. I’m constantly worried about finances rather than enjoying my 20s”

The examples above are just a few examples of the anxiety inflation has caused Gen-Z. In response to the rising cost of living, 33% of Gen-Z are concerned that they will never own a home or start a family. Further, a quarter (24%) of young adults say the ongoing cost of living crisis is their biggest source of anxiety. 

JRF, an anti-poverty charity, released a report that stated that those in the bottom 40% of household incomes are particularly affected. The organisation also found that over 70% of low-income households with young adults were behind on one or more household bills, and 80% with an 18-34-year-old in the household were going without basic necessities. 

Increasing living costs are causing mental health problems, which is not surprising. According to a leading mental health charity in the North East, referrals to its crisis support service have increased 90% over the last 6 months, largely due to rising living costs. 

Thanks, Capitalism. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro
Post a Comment
Read more

Single Review: ‘Tell Me’ - Jay Moussa-Mann

by Ilana Hawdon The feeling of pure betrayal and heartbreak is perfectly captured in Jay Moussa-Mann’s latest single, ‘Tell Me’. Jay Moussa-Mann is the folk dream we have been waiting for. A favourite on BBC Introducing, Radio 6 and BBC Radio Tees, Jay ’s sound is easy on the ears but delightfully addictive. With a background in writing and film, she began her solo musical venture when she released her debut album, ‘Little Deaths’ in late-2019, and since then, Moussa-Mann has defined herself as an artist with unbelievable range and promise.    ‘Tell Me’ is completely timeless; with notes of Carole King and Joni Mitchell, Moussa-Mann creates a folk-inspired track which is simultaneously heart wrenching and strangely empowering. Beginning as a simple guitar tune, ‘Tell Me’ builds with layers of luscious strings and twinkling piano, tied together with Jay ’s vocal line which is equal parts melancholic and divine. The song feels unwaveringly intimate; the lyrics ask, ‘what was I worth?’
Post a Comment
Read more

Eurydice’s Last Words

by Kate Bradley I do not want to return To sit in the stalls, Of an empty black box Strewn with petals Leave the ghost light on, Let it shine like a call home, But I will not come back To turn it off alone. I learn this as we walk Our ever so solemn path Our thudding funeral march, You think we’re going back. As I trace my old steps, I fear of the day When the symphony swells, And I land my gaze On you, yet you will be Enraptured by the sound, If you did twist To turn around, You would not see me. So I am not sorry, I speak out into the empty air And I am not sorry. “Turn Around.” You do, you look You think  I fall But I run on, Arms wide open To fall in love With it all “Perhaps she was the one who said, ‘Turn around.” On the X45 bus, back from the Tyneside Cinema, I wrote a poem entitled “Eurydice’s Final Words”, after having seen “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”.  That poem was terrible, so I wrote a new one, as my response to the beautifully poignant film.  In one scene, Héloïse , an 1
Post a Comment
Read more