The Impact of the COVID- 19 Pandemic on the Values and Behaviors of Young People in Light of the Current Circumstances

Introduction

In its contemporary history, the world has gone through many crises, pandemics, and epidemics that changed the course of history, as it was able to play in the balance of global power, As tests that measured the capabilities of states and the capabilities of societies, And it was able to influence the system of tastes, tendencies, trends, and values of the various segments of society.

Recently, the Covid- 19 pandemic, or what is known globally as “Covid 19”, has cast a shadow over the whole world, as it was distinguished from most of its previous crises and pandemics. In that it was cross-border, and its viral contents were transformed into shapes and sizes, medical research bodies stood in a state of shock in front of that rapid transformation that imposed on the countries of the whole world the continuous policies of change, And the lack of agreement on a unified strategy, method, or vision from which the international action in addressing this pandemic emerges [1].

And the impact of that pandemic was not limited to the health-epidemiological situation only, but also extended to cast a shadow on the overall economic and social conditions that the world has experienced, As it caused a state of randomness and confusion in economic decisions, and high unemployment rates in an engineering sequence as a result of the closure of economic sectors, And laying off workers due to the inability of those sectors to meet the entitlements of workers who stopped the production movement under the conditions of the pandemic that claimed millions of lives during the past two years [2].

In addition to the rule of the principle of social distance between individuals, and taking precaution and caution represented in wearing a mask, which eliminated an important part of the body’s future, namely, facial expressions and expressive language, Through this, the pandemic was able to cancel the bonds of interaction between members of society, and reduce as much as possible community communication, And the world turned to digital, work, and distance education in an unprecedented step, especially in our Arab societies, Perhaps this is confirmed by many studies that indicated the clear impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the behavioral system of society in general, The behavior and practices of individuals in particular within an environment full of negative trends prevailing among the societal segments that have lost the element of security and safety on the one hand, and it lost confidence in the capabilities and capabilities of the state, This comes as a step towards clinging to the rationality of a skilled swimmer who does not believe in the stereotype of things, and that things are going well, Perhaps the most important of these studies; Croeer D, et al. [3], and Hussein M, et al. [2].

The Study Problem

Societies are seeking to overcome the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with all their capabilities and capabilities, so that they work diligently to mitigate the impact of this pandemic, In a manner that ensures the sustainability of life, and attempts to fix what the pandemic has contributed to disrupting the wheel of the economy, and interruption in supply and production chains throughout the world, Looking at the values and behaviors of the youth group, the researcher noticed a state of centralization in their values and behaviors towards work, In addition to the low level of interaction and communication among them, and their low confidence in the overall economic policies that were practiced during the pandemic, And the increase in the value of consumption among this category, and their tendency to what is known as the electronic cigarette, which replaced tobacco, And the consumption of large quantities of it, in addition to this, the reluctance of young people to marry, especially after easing the restrictions that were imposed during the pandemic, In addition to seriously considering going to government work instead of free professional work, as a result of the waves of laying off young workers in the private sectors in which the values of job security have vanished during the pandemic, Due to the closures that it has been exposed to since the beginning of the pandemic, it was therefore important to research the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people under the current circumstances. Especially as we live in post- pandemic conditions, and perhaps what confirms the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on youth values is the results of the study of each of Hussein M, et al. [2], Arab Trade Union Leaders Academy (2020), and UNICEF [4].

Study Questions

The study seeks to identify the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people under the current circumstances, by answering the following questions:

• The first question: What is the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people under the current circumstances?
• The second question: Are there statistically significant differences at the significance level (α≤0.05) between the arithmetic averages of the responses of the study sample members towards the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people due to the variables (gender, years of experience, and educational qualification)?.

Objectives of the Study

The current study aims to achieve the following:

• Adding new knowledge in the field of the Covid- 19 pandemic, and its impact on the values and behaviors of young people, especially in light of the current circumstances, which are represented by the economic and social conditions.
• Helping those in charge of decision-making and policies in various fields to create the environment of their economic and social systems to accommodate the values and behaviors of young people.
• Working to generate a state of harmony between youth- related institutions in various sectors with the youth themselves, and to control and address weaknesses, and work to enhance and advance the strengths of the youth group in light of the surrounding economic and social conditions. Terminology of Study The study included the following terms:
• Covid-19 pandemic: is the name given by the World Health Organization to the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, known as (Corona), Which was declared by the World Health Organization as a global pandemic, and the name of that disease has changed from an epidemic to a pandemic after its spread and at a tremendous speed to all countries of the world after its appearance in China at the beginning of its spread (UNHCR) [4].
• Values: They are that set of mental judgments that work to direct us towards our desires and tendencies, which are the result of the individual acquiring from the coexisting society in a way that works to motivate his behavior Al-Baher I, et al. [5].
• Behaviors: are all forms of response that appear in the individual towards any situations he faces Al Taweel H, et al. [6].
• Youth: is a social group whose ages range between 18-35 years [7].

The Limits of the Study

The limitations of the study included the following:

• Human limits: young people working in the private economic sectors.
• Time limits: the second half of 2022.
• Spatial boundaries: The commercial centers in the Capital Governorate.

Related Previous Studies

This part will include a presentation of the previous studies that were reviewed, both Arab and foreign, arranged historically from the most recent to the oldest, as follows: Croeer D, et al. [3] conducted a study aimed at measuring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people through a questionnaire directed to young leaders at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in the Middle East and North Africa. The study sample consisted of (250) young men and women, and a questionnaire consisting of (45) items was used. The study concluded the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economic and social roles of youth, especially in the field of education and work.

ESCWA [8] conducted a survey study aimed at measuring the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on youth in the Arab region, The study sample consisted of (381) young men and women distributed in the Arab region, and the results of the study concluded that unemployment levels among young people have reached 19.5%, Among the ranks of young women, it amounted to 42.1%, and the study indicated an increase in the dropout rates from education, reaching 19.1%, in the midst of the world’s transition to distance education.

Mustafa M, et al. [9] also conducted a study aimed at identifying the most important obstacles imposed by the Covid- 19 pandemic on distance education, and to achieve the objectives of the study, a questionnaire was developed consisting of (42) items, The study sample consisted of (143) male and female teachers, and the results of the study concluded that the obstacles imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic on distance education were high, The study recommended the development of training and technological programs for teachers, and the development of their knowledge, in order to ensure their continuity in the field of work in education. Hussein M, et al. [2] conducted a study aimed at analyzing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health, social and economic aspects from a gender perspective during the period of the pandemic in the Kingdom, until this year 2022, this study was based on the survey method. The study sample consisted of (1300) young men and women, and the study concluded the need to spread societal awareness regarding the effects of this pandemic, attempting to integrate young people into community institutions, especially with regard to volunteer work.

Muacevic A, et al. [10] also conducted a study aimed at explaining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on university education among young people from the point of view of faculty members, The study sample consisted of (360) faculty members, and the quantitative approach was used in this study. The results showed that the most important manifestations of the pandemic affecting the work of faculty members are the concern of young people about the spread of the epidemic, and the decisions and circulars of the Ministry of Education regarding studying in universities, The pandemic also had a moderate impact on the teaching plans and style of faculty members and their scientific participation; This effect varied according to the academic degree and practical experience of the faculty member, The results of the research showed that university faculty members have strong positive attitudes towards academic development methods and strategies applied by international universities to confront the Covid- 19 pandemic.

The study of the As-Sobh A, et al. [11] aimed to reveal the most important challenges and difficulties facing Jordanian university students from Syrian refugees (Yarmouk University, Aal al-Bayt, and Zarqa Private University) as a result of the burdens of the pandemic, By measuring a number of indicators related to the study, as well as revealing the impact of some independent variables on those challenges and difficulties. By relying on the analytical descriptive method, and using several statistical methods, Where the study sample consisted of (15012) male and female students, the study concluded that there is a need to implement counseling and psychological educational programs, and economic support programs to provide for study costs resulting from distance learning, and that refugees were more affected by the pandemic compared to members of the host community, The study also recommended the need to provide compensatory programs for the difficulties of e-learning among refugees and the host community.

Study Results and Discussion

Results related to answering the first question, which states: What is the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people under the current circumstances?.

To answer this question, the arithmetic averages and standard deviations of the responses of the study sample members in general and for each field of study were calculated, and (Table 3) shows this.

It is noted from (Table 3) that the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people under the current circumstances was moderate, the arithmetic mean was (3.59) and the standard deviation was (0.90), and the domains were average. With the exception of the field of economic conditions, it was high, and the field of economic conditions came in the first rank, with an arithmetic mean (3.68) and a standard deviation (0.87), in the last rank came the field of social conditions, with a mean (3.47) and a standard deviation (1.01). As for the paragraphs of each field, the results were as follows: • The Field of Economic Conditions: the arithmetic averages, standard deviations, and ranks were calculated for the paragraphs of this field, and (Table 4) shows this:

It is noted in Table 4 that the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people in light of the economic conditions was high, The arithmetic mean was (3.68) and standard deviation (0.90), as the arithmetic means ranged between (3.59-3.71), Paragraph (2) came in the first rank, which states: “I am satisfied with the salary I am currently receiving.” Paragraph (5) came in the last rank which states “Make sure to receive training courses to master another profession.” This result may be due to the wave of laying off many young people working in the economic sectors, Which led to their resorting to jobs that may not fit their academic qualifications and practical experiences that they used to practice in the economic sectors to which they belonged before the pandemic, Such a matter generated in young people a behavior and a value orientation of the necessity of adopting vocational training that is completely different from the nature of the academic qualification or the practical experience that they master as an inevitable result of the change of jobs and businesses that were incubating For example, the clothing and make-up sector, wedding halls, publishing houses, and bookstores, most of them are subject to frequent closures, and the youth working in them are largely dispensed with, On the other hand, we find other economic sectors such as restaurants, for example, that have become a destination for many unemployed youth, This forced them to acquire various training and qualifications to deal with the new job situation, This may also be due to the high expectations of sectors, and shops, of the possibility of their support by the official authorities in the country, Which formed a job bubble in those sectors, which resulted in a decrease in the level of salaries granted to working youth, and their indifference to preparation and in-service training because they focused on the priority of managing their affairs in the Jordanian market, and trying to maintain work at the lowest costs.

• The Field of Social Conditions: The arithmetic averages and standard deviations were calculated for the paragraphs of this field, and (Table 5) shows this:

**The social conditions domain is arranged in descending order Table 5: Arithmetic Means, Standard Deviations, Ranking and Availability.

Table 5 shows that the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people under social conditions was average, as the arithmetic mean was (3.47) and the standard deviation was (1.03), All paragraphs of the field were average, as the arithmetic averages ranged between (3.44-3.52), Paragraph (3) came in the first place, which states: “Social distancing enhances my dedication to self-development.” Paragraph (1) came in the last rank, which states, “My confidence in the local media has increased.” This may be due to the nature of Jordanian society, which has differed since the nineties as a result of its establishment of the nuclear family, which is limited only to parents and children. In addition, society tends to improve its standards of living at the expense of establishing social relations and consolidating social ties. Therefore, the social distance, which was imposed by the Covid- 19 pandemic, did not have a high impact on the behavior of young people, and his values related to social conditions, especially with regard to his high level of smoking, or his high level of confidence in the local media, Or follow him on social media, just as Jordanian society does not find in its exposure to the Covid- 19 pandemic an obstacle from going to the mosque to perform the five daily prayers, Or attending religious lessons that are held after every prayer, because he believes that mosques are the purest parts of the earth on the one hand, Hygiene precautions in mosques are also in place, largely such as sterilizers, single-use plastic prayer mats, in addition to the spacing between worshipers, All of this makes the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic weak towards changing the religious behavior of young people.

Results related to the answer to the second question, which states: Are there statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤ 0.05) between the arithmetic averages of the responses of the study sample members Towards the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people due to the variables (gender, years of experience, and educational qualification)? This question was answered as follows: a. Gender variable: The arithmetic means and standard deviations were calculated, and the t-test was calculated according to the gender variable, and Table 6 shows that.

**The difference is statistically significant at the significance level (α≤ 0.05) Table 6: Arithmetic means, standard deviations, and t-test according to the Gender variable.

To determine whether the differences between the means are statistically significant at the significance level (α≤ 0.05), the t-test was applied, The results in Table (6) indicate that there are statistically significant differences at the significance level (α ≤ 0.05) according to the gender variable based on the calculated (T) value, which amounted to (1.588) and at the level of significance (0.008), Where the difference was in favor of males, as evidenced by the increase in their arithmetic averages, This may be attributed to the clear need of males to secure a secure standard of living capable of maintaining the family level within which they live, This is on the grounds that males bear the responsibilities of spending and following up on the revenues that enter their homes, On the other hand, we find that males constitute a societal group that seeks to develop its performance, and tries to find an alternative that may not suit their specializations, But it is certainly commensurate with his physical and psychological capabilities that females may not have, Especially professions that are not appropriate in our society except for males, such as selling vegetables, driving public transportation, or working in earthen quarries.

b. Years of Experience Variable: The arithmetic averages and standard deviations were calculated, and the (t-test) test was done according to the years of experience variable, and Table 7 shows that.

**The difference is statistically significant at the significance level (α≤ 0.05) Table 7: Arithmetic averages, standard deviations, and t-test according to the variable years of experience.

To determine whether the differences between the means are statistically significant at the significance level (α≤ 0.05), the t-test was applied, The results in Table (7) indicate that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α ≤ 0.05) according to the variable years of experience based on the calculated (t) value, which amounted to (-1.369) and at a level of significance (0.202), The difference was in favor of those whose years of experience reached less than five years, as evidenced by the high arithmetic averages, This may be due to the confidence of the sectors operating for this group of young people in the capabilities and capabilities of all those who have more than five years of experience, Thus, providing more attention to their affairs, providing a great deal of potential, and working on their development, development, and motivation, rewarding their efforts and raising their standard of living, It may be attributed to the fact that this group of young people is desirable in companies and commercial sectors outside the local environment, Thus, the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on that group was weak, and they did not have any shortage in compensating what they lost as a result of that pandemic.

Educational qualification variable: Arithmetic averages and standard deviations were calculated according to the educational qualification variable, and Table 8 shows that.

It is noticed from Table 8 that there are apparent differences between the arithmetic averages, according to the educational qualification variable, as those in the (diploma) category got the highest mean of (3.66), Those in the (bachelor’s) category came in the second rank, with an arithmetic average of 3.57, and in the last rank came those in the (high school) category, with an arithmetic average of (3.54),To determine whether the differences between the means are statistically significant at the significance level (α≤ 0.05), the One Way ANOVA has been applied, and the results of the analysis of variance are as shown in Table 9.

**The difference is statistically significant at the level (α≤ 0.05) Table 9: Scheffe test for dimensional differences due to educational qualification variable.

It appears from Table 9 that the difference came: in favor of young people who are in the (diploma) category when compared with young people who are in the (high school) category.

Conclusion

The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the crises whose impact has transcended the biological aspect to the psychological aspect, as it had a major role in reshaping and formulating the form of the value system in human societies, and perhaps this is due to the fact that this pandemic was able to establish a state of new interaction between segments of society, especially the youth group, As the Covid-19 pandemic imposed social distances, which in turn was able to establish values and behaviors that did not exist before, as values that doubled interest in work and viewed it as a necessity on which the life of the young man depends, and as behaviors of interest in preparation, training and rehabilitation that came as a result of the state of anxiety and fear of dispensing with work as a result of that pandemic.

In any case, this research comes as a real observation of the prevailing moral and behavioral aspect, so that plans are built and alternatives are taken in order to strengthen the aspects of strength and address at the same time the aspects of weakness in order to come up with a strong and healthy society capable of achieving goals and achieving wishes.

Recommendations

After reviewing the results of the study, the researcher recommends the following:

• Paying attention to the youth category as they are the source of the state’s strength, and working to develop it, and prepare it to be able to adapt to future crises, so that it becomes an active element capable of dealing with any crisis that may pass at the economic or social level.
• Conducting more studies on the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic on the values and behaviors of young people, and the change it caused in the value system of society as a whole, especially among the youth group.