I'm currently about your age, so I understand the frustration with this.

I'd also like to start by saying that you are sort of right.

Lockdown are doing much more damage to the average person than COVID because the average person doesn't have COVID.

COVID has not hurt me. I've never had COVID and neither has anyone in my immediate family. I know of some people who have died from it and plenty of the people who I see at work know people who have died, but it hasn't hurt me personally in any significant way.

So, of course, the average person is inconvenienced by lockdowns much more than they are inconvenienced by getting COVID.

This is also the problem that better lockdowns make COVID less of an issue.

It's sort of like saying more kids are harmed by the measles vaccine than are harmed by measles.

I hate getting vaccinated. I have lots of vaccination memories. I don't know if I remember my measles vaccine, but I know for a fact it's done more damage to me than measles ever has.

But that's only true because the vaccine stops measles.

Now let's look at your specific arguments:

Lockdowns have severely exacerbated income inequality

Yep. This is awful.

I think this is both a good and a bad critique at the same time.

It's good because we should fix this. Idk where you live, but here in the US this is a huge issue.

It could be fixed pretty easily, but our infantile government refuses to do it.

But that's not a problem with lockdowns as much as it is a problem with government assistance during lockdowns.

The lockdowns directly stop people from dying.

That's a very important thing.

The rich get richer. Income inequality has increased over this pandemic. It also would have increased if there was a new war. It would have increased if there was a drought.

That's not happening because of lockdowns, it would happen under any circumstances. The government should fix this and they don't because the government is either incompetent or evil depending on the day.

Reason 2 - Lockdowns have exacerbated a mental health crisis

These lockdowns have lessened a physical health crisis.

Mental health is very important. Not dying is also important.

There should be more resources during hard times like this. It's important for people to reach out to friends and family. The government should make health care free including mental health care so that more people can get help.

But these lockdowns prevent people from dying. That's very important.

Reason 3 - Lockdowns are disproportionately disrupting the lives of Young People