A fresh take on the COVID generation
New research identifies eight ways young people acted altruistically during the pandemic, from distributing supplies to offering peer support and participating in vaccine research.Researchers found that children and teens often recognized which groups were most vulnerable and stepped in to help.Authors say young people should be included in disaster planning and decision-making. Read the story | See the studyNewswise — April 28, 2026—Having grown up in the shadow of a global pandemic, with increased threats of natural disasters and mass shootings, today’s kids and young adults have often been framed as victims. As many pandemic era students prepare to graduate, new University of Colorado Boulder research offers a different view of a generation often defined by disruption. The study illustrates the oft-overlooked strengths young people bring to bear in times of crisis. “It is true that the pandemic was a very difficult time for many young people. But there is also a quieter, equally important story that needs to be told,” said lead author and sociologist Lori Peek, director of the Natural Hazards Center at CU Boulder. “For some young people, it was also an awakening—a realization that they had the capacity to do something in the face of a crisis.”In a new paper, published in the Journal of Hazard Literacy, Peek and her colleagues tell that story, offering a fresh take on what some have referred to as the COVID generation.“With the rise in the number of disasters globally, we are growing a more disaster-literate generation,” said Peek. “The question now is, how do we harness what these young people have to offer?”For the study, Peek and her colleagues developed a database of pandemic-related news articles from 2020 to 2023.Most of the thousands of articles they found focused on kids’ vulnerabilities and what adults were doing to help them. They then conducted a qualitative analysis of 115 stories that included children’s voices.Among the examples included:At the peak of the pandemic in 2021, teenagers from Sackets Harbor, New York, got certified as ambulance drivers and took over running the local emergency medical service when older volunteers had to step away due to COVID-19 concerns.In Los Angeles, youth with the nonprofit Teen Line fielded texts and calls around-the-clock from peers struggling with mental health issues.Kids as young as 5 assembled care packages for community members in need, while teens fired up their schools’ 3D printers to churn out face coverings for essential workers.Some painted rocks with messages like, “The best is yet to come” and “This will pass,” and placed them along sidewalks around their neighborhood.Peek noted that the children featured in the stories tended to, almost instinctively, recognize that some groups—like the elderly, people with disabilities, the unhoused and lower-income families—were hit harder than others.Youth also bring other strengths in times of crisis: They can relate to peers in ways that adults can’t, are fluent in digital technologies and often have more available energy and free time than busy adults, she said.It’s unclear how these experiences are shaping children’s lives today, but research on adults offers clues. One study looked at adults who volunteered to help after the 9/11 attacks in New York City. Years later, they reported that the experience had helped them heal from their own trauma and made them feel more connected to their community and empowered to create change.“I would like to think that these children in our study understand the impact they made and that it changed their opinion of themselves,” said Zoe Lefkowitz, co-author and PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology. “I also hope they will remember the empathy they felt and, as they grow older, that will encourage them to address other inequalities that they see.” The University of Colorado Boulder is Colorado’s leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876. As the state's flagship university and one of only 38 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), CU Boulder has proudly served Coloradans since the state's founding. Home to five Nobel Laureates since 1989 and the only university to send space instruments to every planet in the solar system, CU Boulder provides a strong return on investment by aligning efforts to achieve research and creative excellence, global sustainability impact and the success of all students, faculty and staff. Learn more at colorado.edu/about.###Contact:CU Boulder Media Relationscunews@colorado.eduFind more media resources | Find more story ideas at CU Boulder TodaySign up for Beyond Research Newsletter
