The experiences of COVID-19 related lockdown and social media usage among the 

youth in Vosloorus, Mfundo Park, Gauteng. 

 

 

A Dissertation Submitted to the Psychology Department, School of Human and 

Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand in Partial Fulfilment of the 

 

Degree of 

 

 

Master of Arts in Research Psychology by Dissertation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lindokuhle Sibahle Dlamini (1538407) 

Supervisor: Professor Malose Langa 

Co-supervisor: Dr Nomhle Ndimande-Khoza 

  



Plagiarism Declaration 

 

I understand what is meant by “plagiarism”. Plagiarism is using another’s work and pretending 

that it is one’s own. Not referencing one’s sources or not citing them accurately also constitutes 

plagiarism. I understand that plagiarism is wrong and is contrary to the university’s regulations 

regarding intellectual property as stipulated in the general regulations manual. I have accurately 

cited all contributing authors and sources that have shaped my work. This dissertation is my 

own work and does not appear anywhere else in previously published media. I have not allowed 

anyone to copy my work with the intention of committing plagiarism. 

 

 

    University of the Witwatersrand, 

     Johannesburg 

           2024 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Name: Lindokuhle Sibahle Dlamini 

Student Number: 1538407  

Signature:  

Ethics Protocol Number: H22/11/11 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

 

 

I would like to thank the Almighty God for His never-ending Grace, Shield and Love 

throughout this journey.  

I would like to thank Prof Malose Langa and Dr Nomhle Khoza-Ndimande for their guidance, 

encouragement and never giving up on me especially during the most challenging times on this 

journey. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights with me, for opening my eyes 

throughout this journey. 

To my friends and family, I am immensely grateful for your support and for believing in me 

when I felt discouraged and had lost faith in myself. May the good Lord remember all your 

good deeds.  

I would also like to extend my gratitude to Australian-Wits Postgraduate Bursary for their 

financial support on my academic journey and my research contribution to society. 

 

Finally, I would like to thank me for my continued hard work, persistence, sacrifice and 

resilience. There were many times where I felt like giving up, but I was reminded of why I am 

here and what it took for me to get here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 4 

1.1. Background of the Study ................................................................................................. 4 

1.2. Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 6 

1.3. Aim and Objectives ......................................................................................................... 7 

1.3.1. Aim ............................................................................................................................ 7 

1.3.2. Specific objectives .................................................................................................... 7 

1.3.3. Research Questions ................................................................................................. 7 

1.4. Definition of Key Concepts.............................................................................................. 8 

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................ 9 
2.1. Mental health implications of the COVID-19-related lockdown ...................................... 9 

2.1.1.  COVID-19-related Anxiety and Depression .......................................................... 12 

2.1.2. COVID-19 and suicide............................................................................................ 15 

2.1.3. COVID-19 and Stress............................................................................................. 16 

2.1.4. COVID-19 and Substance Abuse .......................................................................... 17 

2.2. COVID-19, economy and unemployment ..................................................................... 19 

2.3. COVID-19 and education .............................................................................................. 20 

2.4. Social Media usage during COVID-19- related lockdown ............................................ 22 

2.5. COVID-19 and Social Interaction.................................................................................. 24 

2.6. Entrepreneurship through the Social Media Lens during COVID-19 related lockdown

 .............................................................................................................................................. 25 

2.7. Significance of Social Interaction .................................................................................. 27 

2.7.1.  Adolescents, peer relations and mental issues .................................................... 28 

2.8. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 29 

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................... 31 
3.1. Introduction.................................................................................................................... 31 

3.2. Research approach. ...................................................................................................... 31 

3.3. Research Design ........................................................................................................... 32 

3.4. Sampling Strategy ......................................................................................................... 33 

3.5. Study Setting ................................................................................................................. 34 

3.6. Recruitment Procedure ................................................................................................. 34 

Table 3.6.1. Participants Profile ....................................................................................... 35 

3.7. Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 36 

3.8. Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 37 

3.9. Trustworthiness ............................................................................................................. 38 



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3.9.1. Credibility ................................................................................................................ 38 

3.9.2. Transferability ......................................................................................................... 39 

3.9.3. Confirmability .......................................................................................................... 39 

3.9.4. Dependability .......................................................................................................... 40 

3.10. Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................ 40 

3.10.1. Informed Consent and Voluntary Participation .................................................... 41 

3.10.2. Confidentiality and Anonymity .............................................................................. 41 

3.11. Conclusion................................................................................................................... 41 

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................................. 41 
4.1. Introduction.................................................................................................................... 41 

4.2. Theme 1: Perceptions of the COVID-19 virus .............................................................. 43 

4.2.1. The world was coming to an end ........................................................................... 45 

4.3. Theme 2: Experiences of the COVID-19 lockdown ...................................................... 46 

4.3.1. Dealing with loss during the COVID-19 lockdown ................................................. 46 

4.3.2. Attending ukuthwasa (initiation process) during COVID-19 lockdown .................. 48 

4.3.3. The pandemic made people adapt to a new way of life. ....................................... 50 

4.3.4. Friendships and socialising challenges ................................................................. 52 

4.3.5. The lockdown provided an opportunity to bond with family. .................................. 55 

4.4. Education during lockdown ........................................................................................... 57 

4.4.1. Struggled to cope with online learning. .................................................................. 57 

4.4.2. Learning deficits and Losses.................................................................................. 60 

4.4.3. Forced to finish and skip fundamental parts of a curriculum. ................................ 62 

4.4.4. Matric students prioritized over other grades. ....................................................... 63 

4.4.5. Blamed for poor performance. ............................................................................... 65 

4.5. Social Media and the Lockdown ................................................................................... 66 

4.5.1. Social Media usage during the lockdown .............................................................. 67 

4.5.2. Positive social media impact during the lockdown ................................................ 69 

4.5.3. Negative social media impact during the lockdown ............................................... 71 

4.6. Brief Summary of the Findings and Discussion............................................................ 73 

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 74 
5.1. Introduction.................................................................................................................... 74 

5.2. Summary of findings ..................................................................................................... 74 

5.2.1. Objective 1: To explore young people’s lived experiences of COVID-19 related 

lockdown. .......................................................................................................................... 74 

5.2.2. Objective 2: To explore the use of social media as a mechanism to adapt. ......... 76 

5.3. Limitations of the study ................................................................................................. 77 



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5.4. Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 77 

5.4.1. Recommendations for future research .................................................................. 79 

References ....................................................................................................................................... 79 

APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................. 116 
APPENDIX A: CONSENT FORM ...................................................................................... 116 

APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW SCHEDULE .......................................................................... 117 

APPENDIX C: PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET ................................................... 118 

PLAGIARISM INDEX REPORT .................................................................................................. 120 
 

 

 

 

  



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CHAPTER 1: Introduction  

1.1. Background of the Study  

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), scientifically known as SARS-Co V-2, resulted in 

a disastrous impact globally which saw approximately six million fatalities worldwide 

(Cascella et al., 2022). It had the most catastrophic effect on the health care system since the 

influenza outbreak in the year 1918 globally (Cascella et al., 2022). The pandemic not only 

challenged the health care system, but it also had a remarkable effect on the social and 

economic and education system as well as mental health issues (Onyeaka et al., 2021).   It 

further exposed the workforce to a risk of losing their livelihoods as well as revealing the 

fragility of the food system (World health organisation, 2020). The closure of borders, trade 

restrictions and quarantine measures challenged both domestic and international food supply 

which meant that the food security and nutrition of many people were put under threat (World 

Health Organisation, 2020). Closure of schools due to the lockdown had various impacts on 

young people in high school as well as university students (Onyeaka et al., 2021). In some 

African countries, young people experienced increased anxiety as there was a lot of uncertainty 

on how education will proceed post-lockdown seeing that there was a loss of family income, 

failure in national examinations and-/or repetition of the school year (Onyeaka et al., 2021). In 

South Africa, the government implemented strict lockdown measures to and remedy the spread 

of the virus which greatly affected the economy (Arndt et al., 2020). Many businesses were 

negatively affected which in turn drastically increased unemployment (Arndt et al., 2020). 

Low-skilled, less-educated workers were affected the most, their households were left more 

poor and more vulnerable (Arndt et al., 2020). The collapse in earnings for many South 

Africans resulted in the increase of food insecurity which also threatened their wellbeing (Arndt 

et al., 2020). Although the government tried to offer support to the most vulnerable households 

with social grants, the income inequalities that pervade the country’s economy became 

prominent post implementation of the lockdown (Nwosu & Onyenubi, 2020).  

The loss of income during the COVID-19 lockdown gave rise to issues of poor health and 

nutrition (Nwosu & Onyenubi, 2020). Nwosu and Onyemubi (2020) highlighted that a study 

was conducted in South Africa on the loss of income and ability to access healthcare and a 

nutritious diet showed that populations from disadvantaged communities bore a higher burden 

of poor health during the COVID-19 period when compared with data collected from the same 

study conducted in 2017.                       



5 | Page 
 

Further, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about social distancing measures that saw abrupt 

changes to social interaction, educational setup, and employment, in addition to health, food 

security, and economic challenges. This caused young people to become more fearful and 

anxious about the future (Eden et al., 2020). According to Oben et al. (2020), social interaction 

is a fundamental requirement for human growth and development and is what leads to the 

creation of meaningful relationships between people. According to Karim et al. (2020), social 

networking has a crucial role in helping people safeguard their mental health.  Karim et al. 

(2020), said that mental health is characterised by emotional well-being and the capacity to 

overcome obstacles in day-to-day life, work effectively, and positively influence those around 

oneself. Research has shown that social connection and interacting with others can help reduce 

stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Conversely, a lack of social interaction might 

exacerbate mental health issues (Karim et al., 2020). According to a survey published by 

UNICEF South Africa, over 65% of adolescents and young adults in the country between the 

ages of 18 and 25 experience mental health issues and do not seek help (Majavu, 2022).  

According to Fernandes et al. (2020), social deprivation has been linked to poor sleep quality 

as well as mental issues like stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. According to a 

Canadian study, stay-at-home orders caused young people between the ages of 18 and 25 to 

lose their access to extracurricular activities and athletics. This forced them to seek out non-

traditional ways to cope with their pain and disappointment, which included abusing drugs 

(Ingoglia, 2020). African health organisations released a statement alerting populations there 

to the rising prevalence of drug and alcohol consumption on the continent following the 

COVID-19 epidemic (Givetash, 2022). Sun et al. (2020) claim that employment losses and 

school closures during lockdowns are related to the surge in young people's use of addictive 

substances.  

Additionally, as stated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), young people have 

suffered greatly on a social and economic level (Barford et al., 2021). Pre-existing problems 

with teenage employment were made worse by the pandemic and enforced social distancing 

measures (Barford et al., 2021). Due to significant compromises to their mental health and 

employment prospects, young people have been dubbed the "COVID-19 or lockdown 

generation" (Barford et al., 2021). One of the COVID-19 measures that was required to lower 

the infection rate and flatten the curve, in addition to unemployment, was closing schools 

(Hoffman & Miller, 2020).  Despite the fact that closing schools was necessary to stop the 

virus's spread, it had terrible effects on students who needed and received non-academic 



6 | Page 
 

support from schools, which negatively impacted their mental and physical health (Hoffman & 

Miller, 2020). Rotational attendance was instituted, resulting in numerous days off for certain 

grades and sporadic school closures caused numerous pupils to miss class and/or drop out 

(Fricker, 2021). 

However, because of the COVID-19 lockdown's impacts on physical and psychological 

functioning, young people have been discovering strategies to lessen such consequences, 

including accessing social media (Fernandes et al., 2020). According to Fernandes et al. (2020), 

a Chinese study indicated that teenagers' greater use of social media was significantly 

associated with psychological adjustment. Given its many advantages, social media has 

undoubtedly become an indispensable component of many people's life (Karim et al., 2020). 

According to Fernandes et al. (2020), teenagers turned to social media as a coping mechanism 

for negative thoughts and melancholy feelings as well as for social isolation. Additionally, 

social media has made it easier for young people to fulfil their natural social urge to stay in 

touch with their friends, family, and classmates (Gammon, 2021). During the COVID-19 

shutdown, social media quickly developed as a marketing tool for companies, particularly for 

young people trying to support themselves (Haider, 2022).  

1.2. Rationale 

The high frequency of young people experiencing severe emotional and psychological 

discomfort during the COVID-19 lockdown underscores the significance of our study. 

Increased psychological discomfort has been linked to significant lifetime risks of mental 

health problems, including substance addiction, anxiety, depression, and suicidality 

(Mthethwa, 2020). Young people's increased psychological suffering was greatly exacerbated 

by the prolonged social deprivation that followed the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to stop 

the virus's spread (Cielo et al., 2021). The lockdown measures that were implemented hindered 

young people's ability to socialise, which is an essential component of human development that 

they need to establish relationships and bonds with others (Cauberghe et al., 2021). Due to the 

lockdown, which exposed them to stressful household functioning, domestic violence, and fear 

for their own or their immediate family's health, young people from underprivileged 

communities, such as townships, reported experiencing significant psychological distress 

(Theron et al., 2021). During the lockdown, the socioeconomic evils that still affect young 

people in the townships gained attention (Theron et al., 2021). Theron et al. (2021) expounded 

on the purposeful construction of South African townships during the apartheid era, which 

involved the mobilisation and coordination of racial segregation. This resulted in the 



7 | Page 
 

concentration of impoverished communities under resource-constrained schools with 

inadequately educated instructors. Taking this into account, COVID-19-related stressors 

increased the likelihood that young people from these regions will drop out of school, 

experience extreme poverty, low education, and remain unemployed (Haynes-Rolando, 2015 

& Theron et al., 2021). Consequently, this study aims to investigate the real-life experiences 

of young people residing in impoverished townships and how they utilised social media, a 

popular medium for communication at the time, to adjust to their circumstances. Numerous 

studies have been conducted on the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on young people's mental 

health and how they utilise social media as a coping strategy (Cielo et al, 2021 & Longest & 

Kang, 2022). Nonetheless, minimal research has been done on the COVID-19 lockdown's 

impact on the mental health of young people in South African townships and how they use 

social media to counteract it. Thus, comprehending the experiences of these youth can help in 

developing potential remedies to help with mitigating the damage caused by the pandemic.  

1.3. Aim and Objectives 

1.3.1. Aim 

To explore township youth’s experiences of COVID-19 related lockdown and the use of social 

media as an adaptation tool from March 2020 to August 2020.  

1.3.2. Specific objectives 

1. To explore lived experiences of COVID-19 lock down. 

2. To explore the use of social media as a mechanism to adapt 

1.3.3. Research Questions 

• The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the lives of young people living in 

townships. 

• How the pandemic shaped their lives and how they navigate the world? 

• How the pandemic impacted the socio-economic status of townships? 

• How the pandemic and lockdown changed and impacted their socialisation, education 

and economic status? 

• How they navigated social media and how it became their source of solace as well as 

repercussions they faced through using it? 

 



8 | Page 
 

1.4. Definition of Key Concepts 

COVID-19 - is a highly communicable viral disease that is caused by severe acute respiratory 

syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Cascella et al., 2023).  

 

Lockdown - consists of public home confinement, workplace or hospital quarantine, social 

isolation, physical distancing and shutdown of public buildings and educational institutions in 

attempts to curb the spread of an infectious disease (Muehlschlegel et al., 2021).  

 

Township - this is an underdeveloped urban living area that was initially allocated to non-

white people, namely, African, Mixed race and Indians during the apartheid period (Manyaka-

Boshielo, 2017). Townships generally lack adequate infrastructure and are a compilation of 

informal settlements that lack amenities for the vast majority (Manyaka-Boshielo, 2017).  

 

Youth - in the South African context, these are individuals between the ages of 15 to 34 years 

old (Öhlmann, 2022).  

 

Social Media - it is a form of electronic connection and communication where users build 

communities to share ideas, information, social support and other content for entertainment, 

these sites include websites for social networking and microblogging (Taprial & Kanwar, 

2012).  

 

 

 

 

  



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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 

2.1. Mental health implications of the COVID-19-related lockdown 

Cennimo (2023), defined the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a highly infectious illness 

known to be caused by the SARS-CoV-2, which was formerly called 2019-nCoV. The World 

Health Organisation (n.d) revealed that the coronaviruses belong to a family of viruses of 

Coronaviridae, which can infect both humans and animals. In humans, it can manifest mildly 

in the form of a common cold, whereas in others it can be more grievous, such as MERS – 

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and SARS – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (World 

Health Organisation, n.d).  It is known to cause parlous respiratory failure, which primarily 

spreads through getting in contact with saliva or discharge from the nose from an infected 

individual (Cielo et al., 2022). Signs and symptoms also include shortness of breath, fever, and 

cough (World Health Organisation, n.d). Further, symptoms vary from different people, there 

have been more severe cases where the infection leads to severe acute respiratory syndrome, 

pneumonia and in some cases fatality (World Health Organisation, n.d). The COVID-19 

desecrated many countries’ healthcare systems and economies resulting in the WHO declaring 

it a global pandemic as of March the 11th  2022 (Cascella et al., 2022). It claimed casualties of 

approximately six million globally earning the most calamitous global health crisis since the 

influenza epoch (Cascella et al., 2022). Recommendations by the WHO to remedy the spread 

of the virus included recurrent washing of hands with soap and water as well as sanitising them 

with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering the mouth and nose with a mask or a flexed 

elbow when coughing, immediately disposing tissue after sneezing or coughing and 

maintaining a social distance of about 1.5 metres with anyone (World Health Organisation, 

n.d).  

The first traces of the virus were discovered in Wuhan, Hubei Province, in China around late 

December 2019, which quickly dispersed all over the world (Cascella et al., 2022). In South 

Africa, the first COVID-19 case was recorded on the 5th of March 2020, causing a lot of havoc 

on the economy, healthcare system, social relations, and people’s mental health (Posel et al., 

2021). The country was immediately put on a three-week strict lockdown, which meant that 

people were put on a national social isolation order, travelling restrictions, implementation of 

social distancing, closure of schools (Mbunge, 2020). The country suffered immensely 

economically as it faced immediate medium and long-term economic effects (Arndt et 

al.,2020). The fall of the economy highly compromised demand and supply countrywide (Arndt 

et al., 2020).  This meant that trading locally and internationally was put to a halt.  This resulted 



10 | Page 
 

in many businesses closing down thus amplifying the already vulnerable economic state of the 

country (Arndt et al.,2020). This posed a significant threat to human and economic costs well 

into the future (Arndt et al.,2020). South Africa had recorded about 1655 confirmed cases by 

April 5th   which promptly had an impact on the health and mortality rate of the country’s 

population (Arndt et al.,2020). The lack of information on the spread and control of the 

COVID-19 virus delayed South Africa’s readiness to fight the spread of the virus therefore 

resulting in underrating its ferocity (Mbunge, 2020).  Pillay et al. (2021) mentioned that the 

COVID-19 effects were far reaching in the healthcare system as well as in other public sectors.  

A survey conducted in the United States on women of reproductive age reported that about 

33% had delayed or cancelled visiting a healthcare facility for sexual and reproductive 

assistance as a result of the pandemic (Pillay et al., 2021). Walk-ins at healthcare facilities 

drastically decreased as people were avoiding in-person healthcare access because of fear of 

contracting and spreading the virus (Pillay et al., 2021). Similarly, a data review in South Africa 

found that for the first six months of 2020, which was during the first wave of the COVID-19 

virus, this concurred with the strict lockdown levels 5 and 4, about 30% hike in institutional 

maternal mortality (Pillay et al., 2021). The use of contraceptives and termination of pregnancy 

dramatically plunged, however, in-facility deliveries and antenatal care attendance remained 

resolute from the year 2019 (Pillay et al., 2021). The disruption in the healthcare system during 

the inception of COVID-19 caused turmoil in the routine, functioning and delivery of services 

in the healthcare sector (Hofman & Madhi, 2020). This resulted in the intense reprogramming 

of care units to accommodate COVID-19 patients, while others suffered immensely and 

eventually closed, temporarily (Hofman & Madhi, 2020). The South African government 

decided to implement the most efficacious precautionary measure available at the time, that is 

social-behavioural protocols which involved handwashing, social distancing, as well as 

ensuring safety at workplaces and transportation (Hofman & Madhi, 2020).  

The COVID-19 pandemic did not only cause a devastating effect on the economy and 

healthcare sector of the country, but also it meant living through disease-related and financial 

crises as well as psychological and mental upheavals (Cielo et al., 2021). The COVID-19 

established new barriers for people who are already suffering from mental illness as well as 

substance use disorders (Panchal et al., 2021). According to the Kaiser Family Foundation 

(KFF) Health Tracking Poll taken in July 2020 discovered that many people were experiencing 

various specific negative effects on their mental welfare and health such as eating irregularities 

(32%), difficulty sleeping (36%), heightened alcohol consumption and substance use (12%) 



11 | Page 
 

and deteriorating chronic conditions (12%) resulting from the stress and worry caused by the 

COVID-19 pandemic (Panchal et al., 2021). Panchal et al. (2021) further added that as the 

coronavirus held on, implemented public health measures introduced a lot of people to other 

conditions that further worsened their mental health such as job loss and isolation. Another poll 

found that adolescents were more likely to experience significant mental health repercussions 

during the pandemic (Drillinger et al., 2021). Drillinger et al. (2021) supported this by 

highlighting that has been a result of the isolation from peers, virtual learning, time off from 

essential social activities such as school performances, graduations, prom, and sports. The 

United States poll reported that approximately 46% of parents revealed that their adolescents 

had displayed signs and symptoms of new or aggravated mental health conditions since the 

introduction of the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of social hiatus measures in 

March 2020 (Drillinger et al., 2021).  

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) (n.d.) added that 

about 46% of young people mentioned experiencing deep feelings of demotivation to do their 

usual activities and 36% expressed feeling no motivation to do their normal chores. The 

contained measures that came with the pandemic made young people more susceptible to 

developing increased loneliness (Loades et al., 2020). Loades et al. (2020) defined loneliness 

as a subjective emotional state associated with feelings of lacking social interaction as well as 

desiring some form of social contact. Although there is limited evidence of social interaction 

being synonymous with loneliness, during the radix of the COVID-19 pandemic, about one 

third of young people reported feeling intense feelings of loneliness (Loades et al., 2020).  As 

well, almost half of those between the ages of 18-to-24 years old disclosed feeling lonely during 

lockdown. However, there are confirmed links between loneliness and mental health (Loades 

et al., 2020). Sampogna et al. (2021) even highlighted that loneliness poses as a crucial public 

health concern as it is connected to a world of mental and physical health illnesses such as 

anxiety and depressive disorders, suicidal ideation, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cognitive 

decline, and fatality.  In addition to loneliness, the closure of educational institutions has 

significantly taken a toll on young people’s mental health (Chen & Lucock, 2022). Stress 

related to restrictions associated with the pandemic put young people at an increased risk of 

developing mental health challenges which may notably compromise their academic success, 

social interactions and/-or personal opportunities and future career (Chen & Lucock, 2022). 

The shift to online learning made engaging effectively with schoolwork very difficult leading 



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to increased concern and worry about long-term employment thus developing mental health 

disorders (Chen & Lucock, 2022). 

2.1.1.  COVID-19-related Anxiety and Depression  

It is not surprising that COVID-19 has had an increasingly devastating incline on health costs, 

however, they were not limited to physical health but also had detrimental effects to mental 

and psychological welfare of individuals (Posel et al., 2021). A study in the United States found 

that about 4 in 10 people reported to have suffered from symptoms of depressive and/or anxiety 

disorders during pandemic (Panchal et al., 2021). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical 

Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition depressive disorders are defined as persistent and 

disruptive mood dysregulation consisting of sadness, emptiness, or an irritable mood 

(American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is usually accompanied by somatic and cognitive 

disparities which ultimately affect an individual’s functioning (American Psychiatric 

Association, 2013). Anxiety disorders include feelings of intense fear and behavioural 

disturbances (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is associated with an anticipation of 

future threat (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The pandemic has deleterious mental 

health on the entire global population including young people (Cielo et al., 2021). Young 

people’s mental health is among the growing concern in health crises since the emergence of 

COVID-19 globally (Porter et al., 2021). The United Nations International Children's 

Emergency Fund (UNICEF) provided an account of feelings experienced by young people in 

the United States, during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, among the 

respondents, 15% reported feeling depressed and 27% experienced feelings of anxiety in the 

last seven days (UNICEF, 2020).  The COVID-19 Mental Disorders Collaborators concluded 

that, across 2020, it was discovered that the effects of the pandemic have resulted in a 25.6% 

hike up in cases of anxiety as well as a 27.6% increase in depressive disorders worldwide (Daly 

& Robinson, 2022).   

A study conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

predicted that from June 2020 approximately one-third of adults were suffering from 

depression or anxiety (Giuntella et al., 2021). The study revealed that young adults had a 

significant increase in the prevalence of mental health throughout the past decade that is two 

times higher (Giuntella et al., 2021). It was further revealed that about 60% of young people 

between the ages of 18-to-24 years old were more likely to develop symptoms of depression 

and anxiety and some of them disclosed that they considered suicide in the month of May 2020 



13 | Page 
 

(Giuntella et al., 2021). At the time, depression had a 11% rise compared to that of 2019 

(Giuntella et al., 2021). The social deprivation and isolation contributed to the grievous mental 

health decline among young people (Orben et al., 2020). Orben et al. (2020) went on to say 

that feeling highly disconnected to other people is mostly linked to intense and long-term 

ruinous consequences that affect physical and mental health. Orben et al. (2020) added that the 

social exclusion might have had a far-reaching effect on young people between the ages of 10-

to-24 years old as this stage in their lives marks a pivotal period in their development. 

Adolescence is a stage in which young people are hypersensitive and overly responsive to 

social stimuli and the negative responses associated with it (Orben et al., 2020). This pandemic, 

unfortunately, struck at a rather critical time for many adolescents and young people across the 

world, as they were beginning to and others into well-established social connections (Orben et 

al., 2020). This presented lifelong effects that emerged post implementation of the COVID-19 

prevention measures (Orben et al., 2020).  

In South Africa, the pandemic magnified the already existing gap and/-or very little to no access 

to mental health care assistance (Nguse & Wassenaar, 2021). Individuals struggled 

significantly as the country did not have plans in place to implement intervention policies to 

aid those affected (Nguse & Wassenaar, 2021). A report published by the News24 publication 

revealed that South Africa has one of the worst ratings in mental health among the countries in 

the world (Msomi, 2022). During lockdown, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group 

(SADAG) reported that they were receiving more calls from people expressing feelings of 

depression, anxiety, loneliness, and worry (South African Depression and Anxiety Group, 

2020). Afore the pandemic, South Africa had estimated about 17% of the population suffering 

from depression, anxiety and-/or substance use disorders (Rwafa-Ponela et al., 2022). During 

COVID-19, the depression, anxiety rates shot up to 33%, 29% were fearful and 45% had 

intense feelings of loneliness (Nguse & Wassenaar, 2021). For young people the rates were 

estimated to 72% since the radix of COVID-19 (Mudiriza & De Lannoy, 2020). Some of these 

young people mentioned that some of their mental health challenges emanated from food 

insecurity, geographical exclusion, lack of education and poor health (Mudiriza & De Lannoy, 

2020). The results of job and income losses along with social intermission, fear of contracting 

the virus, and the increased worrying about the future contributed to the heightened trigger of 

a range of mental health disorders such as, anxiety, depression as well as panic disorder 

(Mudiriza & De Lannoy, 2020). Unemployment leading to financial constraints was marked as 



14 | Page 
 

being the most ravaging events that caused mental health deterioration during the pandemic 

(Mudiriza & De Lannoy, 2020).  

Other pandemic consequences experienced by young people included the closure of schools 

(Panchal et al., 2021). They lost some of the resources they accessed through school (Lee, 

2020). Other schools offered peer support groups, mental health support and other face-to-face 

services that were taken away by the physical distancing measures and the transition to virtual 

support has been difficult for some young people (Lee, 2020). Further, schools offered pupils 

with coping mechanisms that helped in mitigating mental health issues (Lee, 2020).  

Considering the social isolation, economic strain, bereavement, and loss as well as the 

transition to virtual learning, learners expected to manage academic stress heightened anxiety 

and depression (Silbert & Mzozonyana, 2021). The closure of businesses left final year students 

more anxious and vulnerable especially with both financial and academic lives under threat 

(Lee, 2020).  

In addition to contributing to the public health crisis, the radix of the COVID-19 pandemic 

flared-up unemployment which further exacerbated mental health challenges faced by 

individuals across the world (Wilson & Finch, 2021). Unemployment rates had drastically 

increased to about 14,7% by April 2020 (Yao & Wu, 2022). Studies have extensively 

documented the existing negative impact between unemployment and mental health (Yao & 

Wu, 2022). The social isolation protocols implemented as a restorative measure to limit the 

spread of the virus resulted in the closure of some businesses which made it impossible for 

these businesses to provide employment opportunities (Yao & Wu, 2022). This, however, 

notably decreased numerous families’ available sources of support which also contributed to 

economic uncertainty thus the development of mental health disorders (Yao & Wu, 2022). 

Young people suffered the most compared with adults especially in lower income countries 

(Fleming, 2021). Youth employment dropped by 8.7% globally and for adults it was rated at 

3.7% (Fleming, 2021). Extensive research has revealed that unemployment is a significant 

social determinant of health challenges (Wadvalla, 2021). They expressed that the process of 

seeking employment is disheartening in which it ends up escalating feelings of anxiety, 

depression, and low self-esteem (Wadvalla, 2021).  

Currently, many young people in South Africa are struggling to find employment, in spite of 

the tireless efforts of searching for jobs (Mukwevho, 2021). Some went on to mention that 

being educated and holding a bachelor’s degree or certificates does not do anything to remedy 



15 | Page 
 

the situation (Mukwevho, 2021). Further expressing that unemployment in South Africa is a 

pandemic on its own and a very depressing experience (Mukwevho, 2021). They felt that there 

seems to be no hope for a better tomorrow as those who seemed to have been lucky with being 

employed were getting retrenched in large numbers (Mukwevho, 2021). The stress associated 

with struggling to find employment whilst seeing their peers lose their jobs leads to the 

development of depression (Mukwevho, 2021). Despite the existing barriers to securing 

employment, young people persist with attempts of applying for a job with the hopes that they 

may someday get struck by luck and land employment (Mukwevho, 2021). 

2.1.2. COVID-19 and suicide 

The COVID-19 pandemic has notably increased perilous behaviours that lead to high risk of 

suicidal ideation, globally (Pathirathna et al., 2022). Suicide is primarily defined as a self-

inflicted act to end one’s life (Lev-Belz et al., 2020). There has been remarkable evidence 

expressing the degree of mental health downturn that has been triggered by self-isolation, 

quarantine, adjustments of daily routines and activities, and people’s livelihoods affected by 

loss of employment (Pathirathna et al., 2022). These factors have amplified feelings of 

loneliness, depression, anxiety, difficulty falling asleep, hazardous alcohol and drug usage 

which may all consequentially lead to an increased urge to self-harm or suicidality (Pathirathna 

et al., 2022). The WHO reported that there are more than 800 000 fatalities from suicide every 

year worldwide and that number increased to 1.5 million by the year 2020 (Manzar et al., 2020). 

This means that every 40 seconds a suicide occurs and every 3 seconds an attempt is made 

(South African Depression and Anxiety Group, n.d). Further, about 80% of those suicides 

recorded came from low-and middle- income counties (Manzar et al., 2020). However, there 

is limited evidence accounting it to during or post COVID-19 which rapidly triggered the 

expansion of extensive research on the effects of the pandemic on suicide as well as suicide 

attempts (Pathirathna et al., 2022).  A study conducted in Japan disclosed that some people 

attempted suicide as a fear response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Acharya et al., 2022). These 

findings expressed the heterogeneousness of the effects of the pandemic on suicide rates 

(Acharya et al., 2022).  

Among young people the fear was heightened by the death of family and friends, self-isolation, 

and physical distancing, and/-or fear of contagion (Goto et al., 2022). Another Japanese study 

indicated that among the recorded suicide rates, it was found that some students attributed their 

suicide attempts and suicide ideation to stress that arose because of difficulty in keeping up 



16 | Page 
 

with their academics after being away from school for a long time. (Goto et al., 2022). Suicide 

among the youth became a huge call for concern as it was labelled the leading cause for 

fatalities during the pandemic, in Japan (Goto et al., 2022).  Manzar et al (2020), added that 

suicide was named the second most leading cause for fatalities among young people. Research 

carried out in 2017 revealed that loneliness was an important predictor for suicide ideation 

(Chang et al., 2017). This was mostly prevalent among young people as the study further 

indicated that loneliness was attributed to greater depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviours 

(Chang et al., 2017). Chang et al. (2017) highlighted that young people who fall into depressive 

episodes and later suicide reported feeling socially disconnected and alone during a rather 

critical and stressful time in their lives. The radix of the COVID-19 exposed young people to 

increased feelings of loneliness, social exclusion and disconnection from their daily lives and 

activities which compromised their mental and physical health (Karim et al.,2020). Manzar et 

al. (2020) further revealed that according to findings from various studies, majority of suicide 

cases started happening a month after the implementation the COVID-19 lockdown protocols. 

This illustrates the severity of the problem and calls for immediate action within the public 

health sector to deploy preventative measures for possible future pandemics (Manzar et al., 

2020).  

2.1.3. COVID-19 and Stress 

The present mental and public health crisis that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak 

has reportedly caused an alarming level of stress (Manchia et al., 2021). The American 

Psychiatric Association, (2013) defines stress as any type of change within the human body 

that may cause harm to one’s emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. Abrams 

(2022) mentioned that there were high levels of stress, they struggled to manage stress and 

make major decisions as well as managing day-to-day tasks reported among millennials and 

Generation Zs when comparing them with other generations. This is a very critical time for 

young people as it is a prime time in their adulthood for making decisions that will shape their 

future, both in their social circles and career (Abrams, 2022). The elevated stress created by 

the uncertainty of the uncomfortable and life-threatening changes brought about by the 

pandemic (Abrams, 2022). 

 Duby (2022) stated that young people had suffered physical health implications of the 

increased stress such as behavioural changes including changing their exercise habits, avoiding 

social interaction, sleep changes, fatigue, headaches. Duby (2022) further revealed that in 



17 | Page 
 

South Africa, adolescents and young people growing up in households affected by 

unemployment, lacking income and a consistent supply of food are more likely to experience 

greater anxiety and stress when compared to young people from well off households. She also 

highlighted that young girls and/or women from disadvantaged communities are faced with 

additional challenges that affect their mental health even further, these include financial 

insecurity, lack of social support and vulnerabilities related to their gender (Duby, 2022). A 

survey and interviews conducted in the South African six districts with young women and 

adolescent girls revealed that COVID-19 restrictions worsened unemployment, poverty, and 

food insecurity, elevating mental health stressors for about 71,8% of young women (Duby, 

2022). Although some of these young women showed signs of emotional resilience, however, 

some of the implications of the pandemic were irreparable (Duby,2022).  

2.1.4. COVID-19 and Substance Abuse 

In addition to the mental health and social welfare concerns precipitated by the COVID-19 

virus, there have been reports on the potential exacerbation of substance use behaviours 

(Layman et al., 2022). Substance abuse involves dangerously consuming alcohol, prescription 

medicines and/-or other legal and illegal substances (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).  

Drug use has been on the rise globally since the pandemic, the United States of America 

reported an estimated 93 000 drug overdose in 2020 (Chacon et al., 2021). Chacon et al. (2021), 

alluded that 4 in 10 Americans disclosed experiencing intense feelings of depression and 

anxiety throughout the pandemic. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

attributed the increased mental health challenges to elevated stress which consequentially led 

to substance misuse to try and curb those effects (Chacon et al., 2021). Chacon et al. (2021) 

further alluded that the stress from extreme social isolation resulted in people making unhealthy 

decisions such as drinking alcohol and taking drugs. A survey published in the International 

Journal of Drug Policy, also put forward that, individuals who were already using psychoactive 

drugs before the pandemic, reported experiencing negative effects that spiralled increased drug 

usage and fear of relapse or overdose (Kenney, 2021). About 47% of the participants 

interviewed for this survey disclosed that their substance usage increased during the COVID-

19 lockdown (Kenney, 2021). The survey also submitted that about 38% of the participants 

were more susceptible to the risk of overdosing as a result of buying drugs in large quantities 

due to supply disruptions, and unknown origins which makes them even harder to get (Kenney, 

2021). Further, the survey implied that 47% of individuals using syringes or other impedimenta 

stated that they relapsed or started sharing needles for the first time since the emergence of the 



18 | Page 
 

COVID-19 restrictions (Kenney, 2021). They further revealed that social isolation and 

spending time alone triggered the drug overuse and relapse in many individuals (Kenney, 

2021). Juvonen et al. (2022), pointed out that young people have been affected the most when 

compared with older age groups.  Layman et al. (2022), explained adolescent years as a 

fundamental part of development, a stage in which the establishment of future substance use 

patterns may possibly begin. The prevalence and mass use of substances during this period are 

strongly connected to the likelihood for heavy use and abuse of substances in adulthood 

(Layman et al., 2022). Kaggwa et al. (2022), added to this by mentioning that young people in 

adolescence are in a critical stage where their lives are marked by a spate of developmental 

changes which are highly influenced by nutrition, society, and culture. Kaggwa et al. (2022), 

continued to say that they go through various amass of neurodevelopmental changes such as 

grey matter volume reductions, increases to the white matter volume, cortical thinning, synaptic 

pruning, and reorganisation with limbic and cortical regions. These neurodevelopmental 

changes then contribute to various adolescent behaviours including heightened reward 

sensitivity, risk-taking behaviour, improvements in executive and cognition functions, novelty-

seeking and wanting to spend more time with peers (Kaggwa et al., 2022). These behavioural 

traits, in turn, lead to an increased probability of actuating substance use (Kaggwa et al., 2022). 

Layman et al. (2022) further advanced that recent studies in the United States have documented 

an increase of substance misuse among vulnerable young people, those that live in 

disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, youth living in resource-limited and/or challenging 

home situations are more probable to suffer immense negative effects imposed on by 

environmental changes, thus turning to substance use to cope (Layman et al.,2022).   

With substance use being identified as a consequential concern within the public health sector, 

it is said about 50% substance use initiation cases have reportedly occurred during adolescence 

(Kaggwa et al., 2022). In South Africa, substance abuse has been heaped up by the COVID-19 

pandemic adding to the ongoing generational battle that has been passed on for decades 

(Juvonen et al., 2022). It was among the many countries worldwide that are currently battling 

to manage the increased substance abuse caused by mental health challenges faced by its 

citizens. Juvonen et al. (2022) stated that before the pandemic, mental health was the biggest 

contributor to the public health crisis. Consequentially, since the emergence of the pandemic, 

the environment has encouraged the exacerbation of poor mental health determinants which 

are highly linked to heavy substance misuse. According to the World Health Organization 

(WHO)’s latest research data, South Africa is ranked as having the third highest alcohol 



19 | Page 
 

consuming population in Africa following Namibia and Eswatini (Bartlett et al., 2023).  The 

International Society of Substance Use Professionals added to this by reporting that South 

Africans were demanding alcohol even during the national lockdown (Bartlett et al., 2023). 

Therefore, this report displayed the magnitude of the problem faced by the country if no 

appropriate action is taken. Giftings et al. (2022), said that, for adolescents, disruption of daily 

activities during the national social recession such as school closures, family tension, 

victimisation and lack of support gave rise to irresponsible coping mechanisms like, solitary 

substance misuse. This type of substance use among adolescents has accumulated noteworthy 

attention as it is linked to heavy and recurrent consumption and potential risk of developing 

alcohol use disorder (Dumas et al., 2022).  Similarly, young people highly prioritise peer 

connections they may be likely to maintain social substance use (Dumas et al., 2022). They 

rate popularity highly and they would typically engage in risky behaviours such as substance 

use to retain and relay the status of cool, fun and mature to their peers (Dumas et al., 2022). 

2.2. COVID-19, economy and unemployment 

In reference to the World Bank (2020), it is no surprise that the economy plunged into recession 

globally post onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The alarming spread of the virus has led to 

millions of people getting infected and fatalities, which further resulted in governments of 

countries imposing strict trammels to remedy the spread of the virus (World Bank, 2020). This, 

then, meant that movement was put to a halt thus significantly affecting the economy (World 

Bank, 2020). The Global Economic Prospects published in June 2020 broke down the 

immediate and near-future as well as long-term impact of the pandemic (World Bank, 2020). 

They predicted a 5.2% decline in worldwide GDP in 2020 when using market exchange rate 

weights, making it the deepest global recession in decades (World Bank, 2020). The stringent 

movement measures disrupted the supply chain of products nationally and internationally, 

therefore affecting many businesses (Shang et al., 2021). Cash flow in the market had run 

extremely low, affecting revenue growth, workers losing their sources of income as businesses 

and industries closed (Shang et al., 2021). Zippel and Sherman (2021) added that the 

widespread economic fallout was especially prevalent among the black community as it further 

exposed the harsh reality of the long-standing inequalities. These inequalities include 

employment, education, housing, and health care of which were exacerbated by the pandemic 

(Zippel & Sherman, 2021). The loss of employment meant that a lot of people struggled to 

afford basic needs such as adequate food and rent (Zippel & Sherman, 2021). Young people 

were not spared in the rise of job losses when the pandemic hit. According to the International 



20 | Page 
 

Labour Organization (ILO) (2020), young people within the ages of 15-to-24 years old are 

three times more vulnerable to the risk of unemployment (International Labour Organization, 

2020). The term “unemployment” refers to the number of people who are actively looking for 

work and available to take up work, but are unable to find any jobs (Amadeo, 2022).  Research 

revealed that one in six young people between the ages of 18-to-29 years old, that is 

approximately 17.4% reportedly stopped working amid the COVID-19 crisis (International 

Labour Organization, 2020). 

As well, South Africa was no exception when recounting the effects of the pandemic on 

unemployment. Research estimated that about 2.2 and 2.8 million people lost their jobs 

between February and April 2020 following the implementation of the lockdown measures that 

led to the nosedive of the economy (Posel et al., 2021). Alvarez-Iglesias et al. (2021) said that 

one third of those people are young people who are either not employed, educated or even 

trained (NEET). The pandemic heightened the existing social inequalities for young people 

living in this country, noting that as it stands, it has been registered with the highest inequalities 

in the world and has an estimated 20% of its population living in severe poverty (Alvarez-

Iglesias et al., 2021). Survey data on unemployment suggested that commonly pregnable 

groups have been excessively negatively affected by the lockdown, these include, black 

Africans, youth, women, and those less educated (Alvarez-Iglesias et al., 2021). Mudiriza and 

De Lannoy (2020) noted that more than 7 million, that is 42% young people ranging between 

the ages of 18-to-35 were living in income poverty and roughly 10 million of these young 

people within the same age group are NEET. In a consequential manner, income poverty 

impacts on food security which on that account impacts health, further compromising young 

people’s transitions from adolescence to adulthood (Mudiriza & De Lannoy, 2020).  

2.3. COVID-19 and education 

School closures prompted by the COVID-19 lockdown have heightened inequality with 

emerging evidence from some countries in Europe (Donnelly & Patrinos., 2021). Transitioning 

to virtual learning abruptly increased learning losses which fully unveiled the inequality 

(Donnelly & Patrinos., 2021). About 45 high-income countries in Central Asia and Europe 

region had to close down all their schools, disrupting 185 million students’ lives (Donnelly & 

Patrinos., 2021). Countries like Ukraine which are listed as middle-and-lower-income 

countries had more torturous outcomes due to their very little or no technological ability and 

majority of the people there living below the poverty line (Donnelly & Patrinos., 2021). 



21 | Page 
 

Donnelly and Patrinos (2021) affirmed that these learning losses may very well translate into 

much more severe long-term challenges. These challenges may include decreased test scores 

which resulted from missing lessons and/or extended learning deprivation, linked to future 

decline in accessing higher education, acquiring employment or lower labour market 

participation therefore decreased future earnings (Donnelly & Patrinos., 2021).  

In South Africa, the second quarter of 2020 exposed about 13 million students with inadequate 

education (Alvarez-Iglesias et al., 2021). The radix of COVID-19 lockdown highlighted the 

broken and unequal education system in this country and how learners from the poorest 

communities were completely cut off from education during extended school closure 

(Mohamed, 2021). With only 10% of households consisting of internet connection and the 

government still underdelivering on adequate running water, sanitation and overcrowding in 

underprivileged schools (Mohamed, 2021). Mohamed (2021) said that an experience of quality 

education in South Africa is highly dependent on how financially stable you are, where you are 

born as well as the colour of your skin. Considering the degree of how broken and unequal the 

system has become, remote learning precipitated by the pandemic has become impossible for 

learners from disadvantaged communities (Mohamed, 2021). The unbearableness of virtual 

learning and rotational attendance which resulted learners missing 54% of learning time, 

reportedly led to about 400 000 to 500 000 students dropping out of school (Fricker, 2021). 

This was said to be prevalent among students living in informal urban and rural settings, where 

the effects of poverty are fundamentally high (Fricker, 2021). A General Household Survey 

was employed to track pupil attendance a year post COVID-19, analysis from that survey 

revealed that approximately 1 million students had not returned to school by April/May 2021 

(Mohohlwane, 2021).  Being out of school is detrimental to young people's mental health status, 

it not only exposes them to learning loss, also to the risk of violence and abuse, reduced social 

development skills and for some loss of essential meals (Fricker, 2021). As previously 

mentioned, these skills are required when these young people are transitioning into working 

lives and their absence may lead to young people, mostly women, taking on childcare 

responsibilities thus affecting the search or finding appropriate employment (Fricker, 2021). 

Even though the significance of contact learning is undeniably irreplaceable and is the 

cornerstone of every learning institution, it provides real-time learning with resources as well 

as providing prompt feedback to students (Mpungose, 2020). However, the COVID-19 has 

fast-tracked the transition to the digital world, the current discourse and technological 



22 | Page 
 

revolution requiring the use of online learning (Mpungose, 2020). It has made learning and 

accessing course content material much easier and more efficient for learners (Mpungose, 

2020). Online learning allows both the learner and educator to hold lessons at different times 

and locations using several forms of material thus allowing learner and educator to save on 

travelling costs to the learning site (Mpungose, 2020). Furthermore, information is readily 

available, anytime, anywhere with access to software and hardware resources in spite of the 

challenges the pandemic has put forward (Mpungose, 2020). 

2.4. Social Media usage during COVID-19- related lockdown 

The introduction of the COVID-19 pandemic came with a lot of uncertainties which included 

many changes on daily functionalities, namely, transition to remote work and school, reduced 

mobility, and face masks (Karhu et al., 2021). These changes and transitions came with a set 

of new challenges that further complicated one’s everyday life (Karhu et al., 2021). A study 

conducted in nine European countries revealed that since the COVID-19 lockdown, screen time 

has increased to 65% (Karhu et al., 2021). This is mostly present within the digital 

communication sector such as, social media usage, text messaging, video, and voice calls 

(Karhu et al., 2021). Digital communication has since become an omnipresent part of our daily 

lives, even more pronounced now since the pandemic has fostered social distancing. During 

the lockdown, social interactions moved strictly to digital platforms (Karhu et al., 2021). 

Pandya and Lodha (2021) added that with social connection a critical part of human 

development, for the reason of enhancing one’s mental well-being, the pandemic accelerated 

the use of digital technology, to retain socio-emotional connectedness. The digital world has 

shaped how people use their technological devices, the time spent on virtual social 

connectedness and/-or avoiding social relations (Pandya & Lodha, 2021).  

Research carried out in Switzerland mentioned that the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on 

young people’s general welfare has been linked to drastic increases in screen media usage 

(Werling et al., 2021). (Werling et al., 2021). The study emphasised that due to the reduced 

physical interaction measures, school closures, young people have experienced increased 

boredom, irritability, anxiety, depression, and suicidality (Werling et al., 2021). For this reason, 

they have used social media platforms as an escapism from these negative effects (Werling et 

al., 2021). Escapism is explained as a form evading an uncomfortable reality that may 

potentially inflict distress on an individual. South African young people had also jumped on 

this trend of daily use of social media applications such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter 



23 | Page 
 

and Facebook (Hlongwane, 2021). Majid et al. (2020) defines social media as the use of 

collective online communication platforms as a means of sharing information and other forms 

of expressions with other individuals through virtual networks. It is known to be built on online 

based applications that pass on the ideology and technology of the web used to connect people 

beyond any imaginable boundaries (Majid et al., 2020). Hlongwane (2021) unveiled that young 

people in South Africa engaged in what was known as passive and active social media use. 

Passive social media was defined as when an individual is just browsing through their newsfeed 

and content posted by other people (Hlongwane, 2021). On the contrary, active social media 

usage refers to online behaviour that foster direct responses among users, these may include, 

sending messages, liking, and commenting, and sharing personal content with users 

(Hlongwane, 2021). When analysing the effects of both these forms, it was discovered that they 

have adverse mental health implications. Thorisdott et al. (2019) confirmed that emanating 

evidence has indicated that passive social media activity has been linked to significantly higher 

depressive symptoms when compared to active social media activity. This may account to the 

fact that active use is associated with an improved self-esteem and greater sense of self which 

positively reflects on one’s thoughts, opinions, and self-concept (Thorisdott et al., 2019). In 

contrast, passive use involves overly exposing lives as well other people’s personal 

perspectives thus requiring diminished personal input and effort (Thorisdott et al., 2019). 

Consequently, this is considered perilous to one’s psychological and emotional well-being as 

it facilitates upward social comparison with other online users, which affects one’s life 

satisfaction and compromises their self-esteem (Thorisdott et al., 2019).  

Although social media may provide a valuable coping tool during the pandemic as a social 

connection method, it has harmful risks attached to it such as psychological distress and 

addictive behaviours (Werling et al.,2021). The World Health Organization and UNICEF has 

marked it as a serious concern. A cross-national online survey conducted in the United 

Kingdom, Norway, Australia, and the United States reported that increased social media usage 

was associated with elevated emotional distress (Thygesen et al., 2021). Some studies have 

argued that the increase in emotional distress has been due to false reports or misinformation 

overload around the virus (Thygesen et al., 2021). A study from China expressed that spending 

an average of 2 hours or more daily on social media is enough to spark mental health decline, 

especially depression and anxiety (Thygesen et al., 2021). Therefore, it is important to note that 

as much as the use of social media alleviate some stress because of its allowance for social 



24 | Page 
 

contact at the same time adhering to the physical distancing protocols, the deleterious effects 

that cause worry and panic are as synonymously important (Thygesen et al., 2021). 

2.5. COVID-19 and Social Interaction 

According to Sulthana and Vasantha (2021), the fear of possible infection, social deprivation 

and mobility restrictions led people to finding alternatives to making connections, that is social 

media. Social media provided people with a platform to interact and connect with family and 

friends, entertainment, and a safe escape from the disarray the world has been subjected to. 

(Sulthana & Vasantha, 2021). The rise in social media usage was noted to be about 10.5% by 

July 2020 when compared to July 2019 (Sulthana & Vasantha, 2021). Furthermore, social 

media ranked the second highest used digital platform (Sulthana & Vasantha, 2021). Research 

conducted in the United States during lockdown in the year 2020, measured participants’ 

momentary mood and stress using a smartphone app five times a day for seven days (Forbes et 

al, 2021). This study required that they indicate if they engaged in any social interaction since 

the last day of entry and mention whether it was physical or virtual. The results revealed that 

even one social interaction event since the last day of entry improved participants’ mood, they 

experienced calmness and were energetic (Forbes et al., 2021). When comparing these results 

to days with no interaction, participants reported only experiencing momentary stress (Forbes 

et al., 2021).  This, therefore, supports the aforestated that social interaction during the COVID-

19 lockdown was found to be beneficial to one’s mental well-being. Worth mentioning, before 

the pandemic, some studies found consistent positive evidence between well-being and the 

quantity of face-to-face interactions whether with close others or less-close others (Sun et al., 

2022). It was heavily linked to self-health report, happiness, improved mood, greater life 

satisfaction and positive effect (Sun et al., 2022). With that said, during the COVID-19 

lockdown, face-to-face interactions within households were unconstrained whereas that of less-

close others, such as colleagues or acquaintances dramatically reduced (Sun et al.,2022). 

However, it is unclear if face-to-face interaction with close ones and excluding that of less-

close others still yields the same results considering the fact that it has drastically changed since 

the pandemic (Sun et al., 2022).  

Another study conducted in the United States found that social media support during the 

lockdown also helped young people fight feelings of loneliness through helping them maintain 

peer relationships (Sundler et al., 2023). Over 90% of young people in the United States have 

active online presence (Ogata et al., 2020). It was found that what mattered the most among 



25 | Page 
 

young people was the quality of screen time not the quantity of time spent on social media 

(Sundler et al., 2023). Peers play a vital role in the lives of young people, at any stage, however, 

they are considered more crucial for adolescence therefore the need to maintain connection to 

them (Sundler et al., 2023). Zhang et al. (2021) also shared that social networks have the power 

to influence one’s mental health by equipping one with stress coping mechanisms. 

Furthermore, social media provides one with access to shared health information and support 

to help individuals reflect on oneself mental welfare (Zhang et al., 2021). Young adults 

confirmed that social media reduces individual stress by alleviating feelings of uncertainty and 

suicidality through sharing mutually supportive information (Zhang et al., 2021). Social media 

communication, like texting, was proven to be more beneficial for self-esteem as it is associated 

with an inflated sense of self-disclosure (Forbes et al., 2021). Similarly, with the pandemic 

disrupting in-contact education, it brought about the resurgence of online learning full-time 

(Jennings & Caplovitz, 2022). Online presence for young people for educational purposes 

increased from 4 hours and 47 minutes to 7 hours and 5 minutes on average (Jennings & 

Caplovitz, 2022).  

Since the pandemic has forced young people to adapt to homebound conditions which have 

accelerated and amplified the reliance on social media for young people (Jennings & Caplovitz, 

2022). It is important to note the possible psychological implications attached to that. Scholars 

found that mental health disorders were likely to develop by the age of 14 years old for young 

people engaging in heavy media usage, which mostly included depression and anxiety 

(Jennings & Caplovitz, 2022). Some young people revealed that they experienced more 

feelings of sadness and less sleep following spending a considerable amount of time online 

(Ogata et al.,2020). And for the youth living in the townships, the effects were more severe as 

their social interaction was completely suspended. This was especially difficult because they 

are heavily reliant on physical interaction due to the fact that they come from disadvantaged 

communities that lack resources like, internet connection, mobile data, computers, laptops 

and/-or even smartphones to access the online world.  Cauberghe et al. (2021), added that the 

situation worsened when the government extended the social distancing protocols, further 

causing devastating effects on their psychological as well as physical health.  

2.6. Entrepreneurship through the Social Media Lens during COVID-19 related 

lockdown 

The massive and unexpected life twists, along with the cataclysmic effects to social interaction, 

the public health sector, education, and the economy brought about by COVID-19, amplified 



26 | Page 
 

technology advancement so much that we continued to preserve communication, study, and 

work (Crawford, 2021). The way the pandemic has fuelled up digital entrepreneurship globally, 

many businesses were forced to migrate to the online world in order to survive (Modgil et al., 

2022). Verily, the sustainability of many businesses currently depends strongly on their digital 

proficiency (Modgil et al., 2022). The primitive foundations of the online world and high-tech 

organizations have been lurking in the world wide web shadows and running the online traffic 

from the workplace to household networks increased for a considerable amount of time 

(Sweney, 2020). The pandemic proved to us that online consumption can change abruptly, even 

overnight (Sweney, 2020). Vodafone, a telecommunications company in Europe, disclosed that 

there was a 50% increase in the online traffic (Sweney, 20201). With the pandemic quickly 

advancing the shift to greater automation, businesses easily embraced labour and bots required 

by digital technology (Modgil et al., 2022). They are purposely seeking to grasp technologies, 

tools and platforms associated with the digital ecosystem so they could maintain uninterrupted 

operations during lockdown crises (Modgil et al., 2022).  

The pandemic has also strengthened social media marketing in a powerful way for businesses 

of all sizes to reach prospects and clientele (Khanom, 2023). More individuals are becoming 

their own bosses since the radix of social media marketing (Wright et al., 2010). The rapid 

expansion of social media has allowed individuals to access an enormous phenomenon in 

information flow (Majid et al., 2020). Potential clients will view, read, and share product 

information with other potential customers and if they are more interested in the product, social 

media allows them not to save the product for further viewing for details later. The attraction 

of clientele has made social media the gateway to the online store. Majid et al. (2020). When a 

client decides on purchasing a product, they have an option to use e-commerce, otherwise 

known as electronic commerce. It is described as a tool within the digital network that allows 

consumers to purchase products via credit or debit payment (Majid et al., 2020). This whole 

process elaborates the significance of social media in facilitating ways of connecting service 

providers or business owners to consumers (Majid et al., 2020). Social media also introduces 

the idea of dropship agents, explained as systems within the digital business world that enable 

people to start up business entities on low capital with smaller risks and there is no hassle of 

unsold stock (Majid et al., 2020).  

The online presence on social media has promoted the existence of the dropship phenomenon 

and has made things easier for young people to tap into the entrepreneurship world (Majid et 



27 | Page 
 

al.,2020). Young people are the future and successors of every country thus making youth 

entrepreneurship the overall advancement of society (Singh, 2020). Entrepreneurship is 

referred to as an innovative way of creating new business by collecting venue and labour in 

order to generate economic wealth and growth (Hayes, 2023). It is a fundamental tool in the 

development of sustainable economies as a result of the innovation and creativity of young 

people (Hayes, 2023). Therefore, social media provides young people with an opportunity to 

connect in a personal and meaningful way with clients, similarly, allowing them to respond 

hastily to consumer-related issues, passing compliments and sharing information about the 

company (Hayes, 2023). India’s absolute population consists of 54% of young people under 

the age of 25 years old, it has claimed its position as one of the Youngest Countries worldwide 

(Hayes, 2023). They have noted and utilised the benefits of bearing no advertising and 

marketing costs using Social Media Marketing.  

2.7. Significance of Social Interaction 

Humans are inherently relational beings, they thrive in social interactions and in communal 

settings (Sikali, 2020). Social interaction is a fundamental human requirement, equal in value 

to nutrition and sleep (Sikali, 2020). Manusov (2011), explained social interaction as an 

involvement in verbal or nonverbal frequent communication between individuals in a variety 

of real-life contexts, such as, family, friends, colleagues, and organisations. Social relationships 

are complex, provide individuals with fulfilment, a sense of connection, support, purpose and 

ultimately better health and longevity (Manusov, 2011). Individuals with healthful 

relationships with their family members, friends, colleagues and/or community members are 

said to be generally happier and experience reduced health problems (Torrönen, 2021). Having 

connections with significant others or people in general has been associated with relieving 

destructive levels of chronic stress (Torrönen, 2021). Research has also found that practising 

the act of caring for another evokes the release of dopamine, a stress-reducing hormone for 

both the giver and the one on the receiving end (Güvendir & Hardacre, 2022). Cohut (2018), 

proclaimed that the human species has survived for so many centuries because of social 

interaction. Person-to-person interactions trigger areas of our nervous system that release an 

amalgam of neurotransmitters assigned to the regulation of our response to stress and anxiety 

(Cohut, 2018). The alloy of neurotransmitters acts as a vaccine that protects an individual 

currently and well off in the future (Cohut, 2018). Physical touch like giving someone a high-

five or shaking hands is sufficient to release oxytocin, which boosts one's level of trust, 

lowering the levels of cortisol therefore subsequently lowering one’s stress levels (Cohut, 



28 | Page 
 

2018). New research found in the United Kingdom found that human interaction is highly 

beneficial to a cancer survival patient (Sandoiu, 2017). The National Genome Research 

Institute (NHGRI) in association with the University of Oxford discovered that interacting or 

generally being in the company of former cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy 

and have completed it in at least 5 years have positive effects on a cancer patient (Sandoiu, 

2017). Social support plays a key role in the survival of these patients.  

Adolescence presents a very critical period for social interaction among young people. It 

encapsulates significant psychological and biological changes. Peer interaction is profoundly 

intrinsic among young people, it is marked by acceptance, approval and/-or rejection (Orben 

et al, 2020). Peer engagement is significant in helping the youth develop a complete sense of 

social self-identity while establishing strong affiliations with peer mates (Orben et al.,2020). 

Peer interaction provides them with a sense of solidarity which promotes their development 

into fully independent adults (Anttila et al.,2017). It was found that the happiness of an 

adolescent can be predictable by the number of their close friends and the amount of emotional 

support they provide (Anttila et al.,2017). Social relationships play a crucial role in young 

people’s general health factors. Poor social relationships can be deleterious on physical and 

mental health which may lead to delinquent behaviours, irresponsible alcohol and substance 

abuse and risk of possible death (Anttila et al.,2017). Throughout adolescence, the physiology 

of the social brain along with many regions within the human cortex are constantly going 

through developments (Orben et al.,2020). Multiple longitudinal MRI studies have revealed 

that on all parts of the cortex, the volume of grey matter, especially that consisting of synapses 

and cell bodies, reduces from as early as late childhood through to mid-twenties (Orben et 

al.,2020). In comparison, the volume of white matter, which is mostly made from myelinated 

axons, continuously increases (Orben et al.,2020). Orben et al. (2020) said that the 

interpretation of these macrostructural biological changes is attributed to neurodevelopmental 

mechanisms at microstructural level that are partly linked to environmental stimuli that 

represent neuroplasticity developmental systems. The importance of neuroplasticity in early 

development is known to continue into adolescence. Environmental stimuli, in this case peer 

interaction is vital to young peoples’ overall existence.  

2.7.1.  Adolescents, peer relations and mental issues 

Adolescents are classified at a high risk of developing mental health challenges. Reports found 

that about 75% of adults are or have suffered from a mental health condition, onset was noted 



29 | Page 
 

before the age of 24 years old (Orben et al.,2020). Factors aligned to the development of these 

affective conditions were connected to poor peer relationships, peer rejection, bullying and 

loneliness (Orben et al.,2020). Young people affected by mental health disorders are usually 

withdrawn from associating in social situations, however, they still yearn for connections with 

people as well as reassurance of their well-being (Anttila et al.,2017). The implementation of 

lockdown as a protection measure from the COVID-19 virus, including school closures, home 

bound conditions and not getting to see their peers has curtailed young peoples' contact with 

the outside world (Cooper et al.,2021). The consequences of that have been heavily associated 

with young peoples’ mental health deterioration. This steep reduction to socialisation has 

affected young peoples’ emotional stability (Volkin, 2020). Social interaction and emotional 

development and stability are intertwined, more so for young people. Compromising that has 

led to psychological distress and loneliness (Cooper et al., 2021). This comes after empirical 

evidence from many countries across the globe indicating the connection between loneliness 

and increased distress on young people since the COVID-19 pandemic (Cooper et al.,2021). 

However, loneliness may be subjective, it was imperative to measure it from self-report from 

certain age groups and noting the pandemic context for credible results (Cooper et al.2021).  

The incomparable psychological and physiological disintegration experienced by young people 

due to the pandemic has led to them looking for alternative ways of sustaining themselves. 

They explored the use of social media to try and preserve some of the connections they still 

had with family, peers, and colleagues (Seabrook et al., 2016). Furthermore, social media 

became a powerful income tool for young people. It introduced them to the benefits of Social 

Media Marketing that allowed them to reach far and wide for prospective business 

opportunities. As promising as the online world seemed to young people, it came with adverse 

comorbid psychological challenges that compromised their physical and mental health. In some 

instances, it unfortunately proved to be fatal.  

2.8. Conclusion 

In conclusion, this chapter outlined the theoretical framework suitable for this study, through 

presenting a picture of how the COVID-19 related lockdown impacted on youth socialisation. 

It discussed how isolation comprised their overall development and social interaction. This 

chapter also presents arguments from the literature review on the mental health implications of 

the COVID-19 related lockdown on young people. It presents global and local findings of the 

psychological effects of the lockdown. It also discusses how social media impacted on their 



30 | Page 
 

lives in terms of facilitating social interaction, income generation and supporting their 

academic lives. 

 

 

 

  



31 | Page 
 

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY  

3.1. Introduction 

Research methodology is referred to as a systematic way of solving a research problem by 

collecting data using varied research approaches, techniques, sampling methods, analysing the 

gathered data, and drawing conclusions to the proposed research study (Sarantakos, 2005). The 

research will adopt a constructivism paradigm which Adom et al. (2016) defined it as an 

approach that people generally use to form their own knowledge and understanding of the 

world through experiences they have as well as reflecting on those experiences. It is simply 

means that the majority of the time what people learn and know comes from experience (Adom 

et al., 2016). This paradigm is suited for this study as the participants are relaying events of the 

COVID-19 lockdown through experience and created meaning of it through that experience. 

Further, this paradigm is mostly appropriate for qualitative research studies which is the 

approach that this study will be exploring. It provides motivation for how and why the proposed 

research methods will be applied to the study. Thus, this chapter will outline the methodology 

used for this research, namely, the qualitative research approach and narrative design. 

Participants, sample, and sampling techniques applied as well as the recruitment of the 

participants will be discussed. Furthermore, data collection methods, tools including questions 

for interviews will be discussed in this chapter. Finally, it outlines the trustworthiness and 

ethical considerations that were upheld in this research.  

3.2. Research approach.  

This study employed the qualitative research approach, which, in reference to Teherani et al. 

(2015), is known as a market research inquiry into social phenomena by obtaining data via 

observing, open-ended and conversational communication. It is direct, accessible, and easy to 

understand (Teherani et al., 2015). It mainly focuses on individuals or groups of people who 

have different perspectives on psychological and social reality (Hancock et al., 2009). 

Additionally, it studies behaviour in natural settings, by interpreting the “why” rather than the 

“what” of the social phenomena through relying on direct experiences of individuals as 

meaning-making agents in their daily lives. It seeks to respond to questions such as, why people 

behave in the way they do, perspectives and attitudes formed post experiences, how and why 

culture and practices have contributed to people’s lives the way they have, and how those 

events have impacted their lives (Hancock et al., 2009). This approach is best suited for this 

study as it has provided accounts of young people living in townships, their opinions, reasons, 

inducements of perspectives and motivations of experiences of the COVID-19 lockdown. It 



32 | Page 
 

has also allowed the study to provide a perspective of the mental health experiences associated 

with the lockdown. Further, they used social media in attempts to remedy the effects of the 

pandemic, connect with family and peers, as well as using it to sustain themselves by creating 

means of income generation.  

 

3.3. Research Design  

According to Akhtar (2016), a research design is a structure, plan, strategy and/-or examination 

of a proposed research project. It is considered a “glue” or “a blueprint” that supports all 

elements of a proposed study (Akhtar, 2016). It is made up of a series of conditions for the 

gathering and analyses of data in a way that focuses on combining relevance to the research 

purpose with economy and procedure. Furthermore, the research design assists the researcher 

in answering the research question (s) effectively.  

The research design used for this study is the narrative research design, which is known to be 

used in a qualitative research methodology inquiry (Wolgemuth & Agosto, 2019). It sought to 

draw out and interpret people’s life experiences to understand their societies, culture, and 

overall way of life (Wolgemuth & Agosto, 2019). By its properties, it was named the “essence” 

of people-oriented sciences as it gives meaning to people’s lived experiences of the world 

(Wolgemuth & Agosto, 2019).  It tells a story of significant experiences of the teller’s real 

world. For this research, the narrative design provided young people in the townships with an 

opportunity to tell their stories relating to their experience of the lockdown, without judgement 

or opposing commentary from the investigator. This research design ensures that people’s 

voices are not lost in translation (Ntinda, 2019). It is embedded in the belief that exploration of 

meaning in participants’ experiences provides a clear picture of their reality (Ntinda, 2019). By 

exploring young people’s experiences of the COVID-19 related lockdown, the research will be 

able to paint a picture of the psychological effect the pandemic had on their lives, how the lack 

of resources affected their education, and chances to find employment. Further, how the digital 

world became their only escape from the perilous effects of the pandemic by offering them an 

opportunity to socialise and generate income for themselves. Moreover, this research has 

specifically focused on the lived narrative design, which documented participants’ experiences 

through storytelling events that have occurred, and the way participants experienced them 

(Ntinda, 2019). Storytelling in this case, relates to township youth lived COVID-19 related 



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lockdown experiences and coping mechanisms employed to try and combat negative effects as 

well as their usage of social media to try and maintain normalcy.  

3.4. Sampling Strategy  

Showkat and Parveen (2017), explained sampling as a method of determining a representative 

portion of the population known as a sample. It makes the research conducted more accurate, 

economical as well as determining transferability of the findings from the study (Showkat & 

Parveen, 2017). This research took on a non-probability sampling technique, defined as a non-

randomised method of drawing out a sample from the population. It mainly worked on the 

researcher’s judgement, that is, respondents were selected based on convenience (Showkat & 

Parveen, 2017). This study used the purposive sampling method when selecting participants. 

Sharma (2017) explained it as a subjective, judgemental, and selective sampling method that 

relies on the researcher’s judgement when it comes to the units, these may be, organisations or 

cases, people, events, or pieces of data, that are required by the study. The researcher preselects 

their sample based on his or her own acumen (Sarantakos, 2012). For the purpose of this 

research, the researcher purposely selected individuals between the ages of 18 to 25 years old, 

both male and female equally. The age group for participants required for this study were 

preselected by the investigator because they deemed it appropriate for the study. In addition, 

the study employed the snowball sampling technique, also known as a chain-referral sampling 

method.  It is mainly defined as a selection method applied when participants are difficult to 

locate or access (Naderifar et al., 2017). The method relies on referral from acquaintances who 

may be interested in participating in the research. In order to obtain respondents who have 

similar characteristics with the initial responder, the researcher used people who typically have 

a greater number of social connections (Etikan, 2016). This strategy is appropriate for the study 

since it has given the researcher the opportunity to ask participants who could know potential 

participants who share the same characteristics as the initial participants for help. In this case, 

individuals may pass on the information on the pamphlets about the study among themselves 

and peers they may know or may be interested in the study. These characteristics include other 

young people who reside in the Mfundo Park community and the Vosloorus township. When 

asked during interviews, these individuals discussed their experiences with the COVID-19 

lockdown, including how it affected their social lives, mental health, and financial and 

academic standing. The interviews also aimed to find out how the youth of Vosloorus used 

social media whether it helped them stay in touch with each other, reduce feelings of loneliness 



34 | Page 
 

that might otherwise result in depression, or use it for entrepreneurship to make money and 

stay on top of their academics by keeping up with their teachers and schoolwork.  

3.5. Study Setting 

The study interviewed seven participants from the Mfundo Park area from the Vosloorus 

community in Johannesburg, Gauteng province, South Africa. Vosloorus has a population size 

of approximately 163 216 with surface area of 32.10km squared (BusinessTech, 2016). During 

the early 1800s, gold and coal had just been discovered in the Boksburg area which saw many 

black, Asian and coloured migrant workers from different parts of South Africa and 

internationally flooding the area in hopes of finding employment (Khumalo, 2016). The surplus 

in labour was well received by the mining bosses, however, they did not have land to 

accommodate these people, so they decided to appeal to the government for a piece of land on 

the west of Boksburg CBD (Khumalo, 2016). At the time, the residential area was called 

“eJulewe” which was translated to “jewellery or “place of wealth”, however, by 1911 the 

Julewe’s name was changed to Stirtonville in honour of their then local municipality 

superintendent (Khumalo, 2016). Stirtonville was growing into this vibrant harmonious 

community such that it produced highly rated local and national professional black golfers 

which led to the authorities monitoring unknown visitors into the settlement (Khumalo, 2016). 

Residents of the settlement were issued with residential permits and non-residents were 

required to obtain a temporary day-pass from the superintendent’s office but even so, it was 

not enough to keep people out. This then led to the relocation of all black people to a new 

township on the border of Germiston and Boksburg, named Vosloorus (Khumalo, 2016).  

This area has been found to have one of the highest unemployment and poverty rates dating 

before the COVID-19 (Modiba, 2021). BusinessTech (2016) mentioned that about half of the 

country’s urban population lives in townships and informal settlements, 38% of which are 

within working-age and about 60% completely unemployed. It was also noted that people 

living in townships live in dormitory style structures that were placed far away from economic 

city centers in attempts to carry out segregation plans (BusinessTech, 2016).  

3.6. Recruitment Procedure 

Participants recruited for this study utilised their ability to seek help from posters and 

pamphlets distributed by the researcher explaining the study as well as the participants required 

by the study. The posters and pamphlets contained details of the potential participants’ age 

groups. The researcher also recruited participants who had received word from peers about this 



35 | Page 
 

study through the information on the posters that was spread throughout the community of 

Mfundo Park. After then, a schedule for interviews was created for those who had expressed 

interest in taking part in the research, and the interviews started.  

The young people from the Vosloorus township in Mfundo Park, Gauteng, were the 

participants in this study. The age range of the participants was 18 to 25 years old.  Since that 

demographic is the focus of the research, young Black people made up the majority of the 

sample. It looked into how the COVID-19 lockdown affected the lives of young people who 

experienced it, how they coped with the difficult circumstances, and how they changed their 

lives. Seven people make up the sample, which is suitable for the kind of study being done. 

This research may not be broadly applicable, as the great majority of South African youth 

residing in other townships will not be included in the sample. Consequently, the study's 

findings do not accommodate generalisation.  

Table 3.6.1. Participants Profile 

Pseudonym Age Marital 

Status & 

Gender 

Education Level Occupation 

Sibongile 19 Single 

Female 

Completed Matric Unemployed 

Grace 25 Single 

Female 

Studying Diploma in Mechatronics at 

Ekurhuleni West College in 

Germiston (EWC) 

Student 

Banele 20 Single 

Female 

Studying Education at University of 

the Witwatersrand 

Student 



36 | Page 
 

Mduduzi 22 Single Male Completed Advanced Diploma in 

Marketing at Durban University of 

Technology (DUT) 

Employed as a 

Waiter 

James 19 Single Male Completed Matric Unemployed 

Mary 25 Single 

Female 

Completed Degree in Education at 

University of Johannesburg 

Unemployed 

Michael 21 Single Male Completed Honours Degree in 

Politics at University of Pretoria (UP) 

Unemployed 

 

3.7. Data Collection  

Data for this study was collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews, which consists of 

a dialogue between the researcher and participant (DeJonckheere & Vaughn, 2019). This 

exchange is mainly guided by a pliable interview guide and followed up by probing questions 

and comments (DeJonckheere & Vaughn, 2019). The questions were non-standardized; they 

covered the themes included in the study, they were not ask