Young people forced to self-isolate should be offered free gaming, says UK government advisory group

Fingers tap a controller — (Image credit: Amazon)

UK thinktank, The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), has recommended that young people forced to self-isolate or remain at home should be provided with "free data, streaming and gaming" as a reward, and incentive, for their compliance.

The report – which was published on Friday and picked up by Eurogamer – warned UK officials that people aged 18-29 were "substantially lower and declining" to adhere to guidance set to minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19 due to a lack of trust in the UK government.

Consequently, the report recommended that "young people asked to isolate or stay at home should be provided with good financial and other support e.g. free mobile phone data, streaming and gaming".

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"Young people are more oriented towards immediate experiences and rewards than long term consequences," the report says, before adding that "interventions should provide short-term rewards for adherence" including a recommendation that "streaming and gaming services [should be] provided free to those asked to isolate".

Other recommendations in the report included increasing practical interventions, such as the free distribution of face masks, schools and universities moving to remote learning, and providing "settings-based" interventions to support young people's mental health and wellbeing. It also suggested employers and educational institutions support preventive behaviours "which address barriers to adherence associated with ethnicity [which] are therefore likely to be important".

With England bracing for another COVID-19 lockdown for four weeks – just as Wales comes out of its own lockdown – retailer Game has outlined plans for in-store collections concerning the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Game confirmed you can still pop into your local Game store from this week to collect your pre-ordered Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on November 10. However, there'll be reduced opening hours for all stores, so you'll only be able to pick up your next-gen Xbox between 10 am and 2 pm.

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.