Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Friday expressed his concern over a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday: young people not being able to enjoy dating.
“You’ve got young people, who want to go to school, want to socialize, want to date, want to do things that young people do,” the Vermont senator said while addressing the Senate. “And they can’t do it or have been unable to do that for the last year.”
Sanders also made the connection between people, young and old, being isolated as a result of the pandemic and increasing mental health issues.
“That has resulted in a very sharp increase in mental illness in this country,” he added.
Some people took to Twitter to cheer on Sanders over his comments, praising the 79-year-old senator for being in touch with America’s youth, as well as for having faith in their dating abilities.
Even some of his critics agreed with his statement.
Young people being detached from their peers is just one of many societal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanders argued, along with the plight of the elderly, who “can’t interact with their grandchildren, with their own kids, with their friends.”
These issues underscore the need for continued efforts in fighting COVID-19, he argued.
Sanders has recently been pushing for an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour — a proposal that was shot down Friday by the Senate.