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Theyâ•Žre new parents, retail workers, teachers. And theyâ•Žre fed up with all young people being labelled covidiots deliver them and take on that risk." Collings adds that as a person living with a chronic illness, she's already aware of the risks of infection and frustrated by the stereotype that young people feel "invincible" to the virus. To Collings' point, when the Star posted a Twitter call-out to millennials and Gen Z members in the GTA asking whether they still exercise precautions during the pandemic, more than 150 responses from people who are parents, educators, students, immunocompromised and living with family say viral videos of young people in crowded beaches and bars don't paint a complete picture of how people under 40 are behaving during the pandemic. Chanele McFarlane, 28, gave birth to her daughter Eden this past April and has been extra careful about outings. She says her and her husband Chris, 31, do curbside pickup for groceries, wipe down everything that comes into the house and wash their hands before holding their daughter. "Other than doctor appointments, I haven't stepped foot inside anywhere," said the Brampton resident who works in marketing. "When I see crowds on TV, you couldn't pay me to be reckless like that and we don't know the effects the virus has on newborns." McFarlane adds that they're not only being extra cautious for their newborn, but also McFarlane's grandmother who is 80. She wants their daughter to be able to spend as much time with her great-grandmother as possible. Another new parent, Kevin Hulbert, a 37-year-old recruiter living in Mississauga, has been having discussions with his wife Christine Bottomley, a 37-year-old nurse practitioner, about who within their family can see their 10-month-old son, Benjamin. While Hulbert hasn't been participating in most of the Stage 3 activities, he says the provincial government's emphasis on reopening the economy means more people have to go back to work, and people are being given the green light to eat, drink and work inside restaurants. "We're being criticized for not being cautious, but are encouraged to go to areas that seem like a recipe for disaster and greater spread," he said. "That's the frustrating part, the mixed messaging." Members of Gen Z have also grown tired of being branded covidiots. Robyn Matuto is a 22-year-old working from her home in digital marketing. The North York resident says it's not unusual for immigrant families to live in multi- generational households that include grandparents, one of the reasons why she and her friends continue to restrict social interactions to Zoom calls and the occasional park meetup. "For a 22-year-old it might not be a big risk to go out, but if we're coming back to our lolo (grandfather in Tagalog) we don't have the luxury of going out. "I feel like people are seeing the King West crowd, which tend to be better off and maybe have different life circumstances," Matuto said. "I live with my mom, but so They're new parents, retail workers, teachers. And they're fed up with al... https://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/10132226-they-re-new-parents... 2 of 4 8/6/2020, 2:12 PM