"We Are Ghosts" French University Students Complain of Mental Distress Amid Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic

Preparations for Protests Across Multiple Cities on the 20th... '#GhostStudents' Hashtag Trending on SNS

Street scene in Paris, France, where a blackout order was issued last December [Image source= AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] On the 20th (local time), French university students are preparing simultaneous protests in several cities, the British BBC reported on the 19th. The students are expected to express their mental distress caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and dissatisfaction with the government's quarantine guidelines.

Recently, France has been recording an average of 16,000 new confirmed cases daily. The French government is responding to COVID-19 with strong quarantine measures.

Due to the authorities' quarantine guidelines, French university students have been unable to attend lectures for several months. Cafes, bars, theaters, and gyms are all closed, making social activities nearly impossible. Since the 16th, the curfew has been strengthened. Lights must be turned off by 6 p.m. Students are isolated at home, spending their days mostly fiddling with computers or smartphones without much activity. As this lifestyle repeats indefinitely, more students are suffering to the extent that they say they have lost their life goals and dreams.

According to mental health counselors specializing in student care, the number of French students seeking mental help has rapidly increased in recent weeks. The prolonged lockdown due to COVID-19 has intensified mental distress. In Lyon, two university students attempted suicide in the past two weeks.

Ryan Kennedy, who studies law in Montpellier, told the BBC in an interview, "I have been living alone in a studio apartment since last September. It's my first time living alone." He started using the hashtag '#GhostStudents' on Twitter with his friends. #GhostStudents reflects young people's feelings of being neglected by the government. Kennedy expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "The government treats us like children" and "They don't consider us important."

Heidi Supo, a political science major in Strasbourg, sent a letter to President Emmanuel Macron. Supo wrote, "I am now nineteen years old but feel like a dead person. I have no more dreams or hopes. What is left for us?" The letter Supo sent to President Macron was shared on social media, resonating with many students.

As the response grew, President Macron replied to Supo and her peers: "2020 has been a difficult time for twenty-year-olds. But I hope you keep holding on. We know we owe you. Please endure a little longer."

As the hardships of young people increase, the government plans to allow partial resumption of lectures from the end of this month. However, it is expected that only some students, mainly first-year students, will be given the opportunity to attend classes.

With the recent detection of variant viruses in nearby the United Kingdom, French authorities' vigilance against COVID-19 has heightened. Strong quarantine measures are likely to continue for a long time.

Supo told the BBC in an interview, "I can't think about or expect the future. People in their early twenties should be actively and vigorously participating in social activities, but that's not the case. At first, I thought the COVID-19 situation would be temporary. Sitting in front of the computer all day became so boring that I can't focus on anything. Now, everything feels sad."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.