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Letter from the Editor: Fall 2022 Edition
Dear readers, When deciding on the theme for the first issue of Volume 3, I couldn’t help but think of the past two years and what theme would resonate most with our audience. The word resilience means to recover from something quickly – something that can spring back into shape. Resilience was all I could think of when I thought about how our world has recovered from these extremely difficult two years. During this time, we’ve gone through a pandemic, climate change, political unrest and so much more. We have risen above all this the best we could, and in 2022, we have seen a bit of light at the…
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Out with the old, in with the new
It is no surprise that since the COVID-19 pandemic began, online shopping has seen an influx while in-person shopping has drastically decreased. But the decline of in-person shopping started long before the pandemic. In a research study done in 2017, Credit Suisse predicted that 25 per cent of all U.S. malls will close by 2022. This was after Michael Kors announced the closures of 125 stores and department stores like JCPenney, Sears—which no longer has any stores in Canada—and Macy’s announced shutdowns of several locations. Retail analyst and author Bruce Winder says malls are now replacing department store areas with places like gyms and grocery stores, while also adding more…
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Developing a sense of self while entering adulthood
Who am I? What do I want to do with my life? Am I going down the right path? These are just a few of the questions a young person might ask themselves when they are searching for their identity or sense of self. In late teens and early 20s, people are left up to their own devices for the first time and are responsible for the decisions they make about their lives. Mary Charron, a clinical social worker and therapist who specializes in childhood and adolescent mental health says, “It’s kind of like we were going down this waterslide that was really predictable our whole lives, we knew the…
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Balls 4 Eyeballs is looking for your help
In the summer of 2021, Toronto-based brothers Ethan and Cooper Waisberg started their own non-profit corporation, Balls 4 Eyeballs. Balls 4 Eyeballs is a youth-led movement with the goal of protecting the environment while also generating funding for eye research. The Waisberg brothers are both life-long tennis players that are helping spread awareness about eye care, a pursuit that was inspired by a close family member. Ethan Waisberg is involved in eye research in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. and is a student at the University College Dublin School of Medicine. Cooper Waisberg is in his second year at York University working towards becoming a lawyer who advocates for…
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Growing older and growing apart
Growing up, friends are a vital part of our lives. We spend copious amounts of time together, whether it be playing sports after school or having sleepovers on the weekends. One thing we are sure of is that our friends will be there until the end—or will they? I’ll be moving away from my hometown soon, the place I have lived for the majority of my life and potentially will never live in again. I’ll be starting a new chapter in my life in a different province where I don’t know anyone. Because of this, I have been thinking a lot about friendships and the importance they hold during our…
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The future of the “lockdown generation”
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Canadian employment sector hard. But as vaccination rates rise and workplaces begin to reopen, the question is, what long term effects will the pandemic have on Canada’s unemployment—especially youth unemployment? The Ontario Government reported that in the first quarter of 2021, employment declined for all age groups compared to the same quarter last year. Youth aged 15 to 24 saw the largest loss of employment with a decrease of 8.6 percentage points, followed by workers aged 25 to 54 with 1.2 percentage points. Ontario’s unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2021 (9.1 per cent) was also higher than Canada’s rate of unemployment (8.8 per…
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Travelling with Type 1 Diabetes
I first started travelling when I took a gap year in between high school and college. It was 2015 and I had moved to Whistler, B.C., to work selling ski passes for the mountain. From there, I was hooked. In the years since, I have visited nine different countries and countless cities. However, a change came in March 2019, when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I spent three days in the intensive care unit (ICU) to bring down my blood sugar after my body had entered Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a complication of diabetes that happens when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones.…
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General travel safety tips
Safety isn’t always at the forefront of our minds with all the excitement that comes with travelling. However, it is important to remember, when travelling, that you are in a new environment, often in big cities with different primary languages. Being alert and aware of your surroundings could potentially save your life, especially for those travelling on their own for the first time. Here are some tips to ease the stress of staying safe, so you can make your travel experience even more enjoyable. Learn about your destination Before you head overseas, do your research. Inform yourself about which neighbourhoods to avoid and what crimes often happen there. Know where…
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Conversations with Canada’s young politicians
In recent years, Canada has seen more young politicians emerging into councils, but it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. As we saw in the 2019 federal election, Justin Trudeau, Andrew Scheer and Jagmeet Singh made up the youngest three major party leaders running for prime minister in Canada’s history. Sam Oosterhoff Sam Oosterhoff, the Progressive Conservative member of provincial parliament (MPP) for the Niagara West riding, was first elected at the age of 19, making him the youngest Ontario MPP to ever be elected. In an interview with Oosterhoff, he explained the difficulties he faced entering parliament at a young age and dealing with criticism. How did you…
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Rising to the occasion: Learning how to become an activist
The past few years have seen massive change in the area of activism. Young people from Generation Z have shown a passion and interest in getting involved in social and environmental issues, as well as many other prominent concerns in the world today. Here are some ways we can all learn and get involved in order to make the world a better place. As Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Education The first start to becoming an activist is learning. Education can come in many different forms: Reading up on subjects that you feel passionate about and want to know more about, speaking…
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Police wellness checks are in need of a change
Police wellness checks are performed when someone whose mental health or well-being are a potential danger to themselves or others. Officers are called to assess the person’s mental health, as well as to ensure that the person’s living situation is healthy and stable. However, more often than not, wellness checks become violent — and not just at the hands of the vulnerable person. Dr. Taslim Alani-Verjee, a psychologist and the founder and director of Slim Centre for Mental Health in Toronto, said she thinks that police should not be the ones conducting these wellness checks. “I definitely think it shouldn’t be police,” she said. “It’s not their jobs. I think…
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Food insecurity is a symptom of poverty. Feed Ontario is here to end that
The number of people who are experiencing food insecurity in Canada is increasing as a result of this pandemic. According to a recent report by the non-profit Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC), one in seven Canadians are experiencing food insecurity in the country. The CFCC de nes food insecurity as not being able to “afford adequate or secure access to food.” “Food insecurity is not simply about a lack of food. Its ripple effects are wide and far-reaching, affecting physical and mental health, social connection and community, employment and aspirations, family life and more,” penned CEO Nick Saul and Dr. Kwame McKenzie in their report.” Executive Director of Feed Ontario, Carolyn Stewart-Stockwell, expresses similar…
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Opening Your First Bank Account
Learning about opening a bank account is an important step into entering the adult world. However, the task can be daunting for many young people. Below, Youth Mind has outlined some steps and advice on what to know before you open your first bank account. Eligibility To open a bank account, must be at least 18 years old, have a permanent address, have confirmation of permanent residency and have two pieces of identification. Canadian residents over the age of 12 can open a bank account as long as it is opened by a parent or guardian. Types of ID can include: Driver’s license Canadian passport Birth certificate Health Insurance card…
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Companies, consumers should adopt alternatives to fast fashion, environment experts say
People around the globe are becoming more aware of the harm our lifestyles have on the planet. One of the biggest harms on the environment is clothing — more specifically, our fast and frequent consumption of it. So, what exactly is fast fashion and why is it harmful? Kelly Drennan, the founding executive director of Fashion Takes Action, Canada’s largest non-profit organization focused on sustainable fashion, explained that fast fashion is clothing made quickly, at a low cost. “Often, it is uber trendy, copies designs and poor quality,” Drennan said. “Fast fashion brands have 52 seasons, which means each week, new items are appearing on the racks. Not only is…
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Canadian tuition prices continuously rising as government funding declines
The cost of university in Canada has been on the rise for the last few decades. More recently, there has been a steady increase of tuition costs in the past few years. A report that Statistics Canada released in 2018 showed that the cost of tuition for full-time undergraduate programs for the 2018-19 school year was $6,838, on average. That marked a 3.3 per cent increase from the previous academic year. The most expensive average tuition fees in undergraduate programs for the 2018-19 academic year were seen in dentistry ($23,474), medicine ($14,780), law ($13,332) and pharmacy ($10,746). Statistics Canada reported that “these four programs accounted for 3.6 [per cent] of all Canadian…
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Putting the ‘social back in social media’ with Hop Over
(Affiliate disclosure: Bilal Qadar, founder of Hop Over, is affiliated with one of our contributors, Rameesha Qazi.) Bilal Qadar was searching for a solution when he began creating the app Hop Over. Qadar was looking for a social media platform that “puts its users at the center.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Qadar brought together a team to design a social media app that is “private, intuitive and intelligent.” As a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, Qadar has a degree in computer science and math. He currently works for an organization creating coding curriculums for underprivilged people. While working from home during the pandemic, Qadar was getting bored of sitting…
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From A to Z: Why Onyeka Illoh believes cybersecurity is a constantly-learning job
Meet Onyeka Illoh. Illoh has worked in cyber security for nearly 10 years, most recently as a senior security governance specialist at Sun Life. Illoh helps with keeping cybersecurity up to date, as well as ensuring data is encrypted, everything is monitored and logged in order to keep a close eye and secure a company’s data. “We’re solving problems everyday, we provide guidance,” she said. “This is how other people are doing it, we’re not doing it, how do we get to that point so we’re not breached?” Illoh says that the field of cybersecurity requires people with diverse skills and requires different strengths. “I work with people with varied…
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Why unpaid internships can be unfair to those who can’t afford to work for free
For students, summer is always a great time to pick up a part time job and save some cash for the upcoming school year. With students often not working during the school year, a summer job helps cover expenses like rent and cost of living, as well as providing some pocket money. Many universities require an internship to graduate. Even when they are not mandatory, internships are a great time to gain experience in one’s chosen field. The problem for students is that many of these internships are unpaid. Adriana Cavalieri, who graduated from Mohawk College, was working full-time hours for her unpaid internship, while balancing school and her own…
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Experts say the response to COVID-19 must be matched for climate change
While COVID-19 spread globally, the rise of single-use plastic indirectly had an outbreak of its own. The world has seen a resurgence in single-use plastic. Grocery stores, restaurants and other food vendors have increased the use of single-use plastic, as well as the introduction of personal protective equipment (PPE). As life was put on hold, many climate change programs and emissions-reduction targets were also placed on hold. “The Government of Canada’s top priority in the procurement of PPE and other medical supplies is the health and safety of the frontline healthcare workers,” said Gabrielle Lamontange, spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada, in an email to Youth Mind. “This has led…
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How students and schools can successfully prepare for a semester of online learning
As the fall semester gears up to start, college and university students will have a very different school year than usual. With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, Canadian schools have decided to hold classes completely online. However, learning from home can make it challenging for students to stay concentrated and motivated. Looking at some ways to succeed can be beneficial to approaching this new way of learning, as well as understanding the adaptation schools are making in order to help students with this transition. Transitioning into completely online courses will be a learning curve for students and professors. Johnathan Small, Associate Vice President of Online Learning at Regis College, wrote…
