Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
What’s it like to grow up on a tiny island — far from cities, schools and dating life?
Shahin is 16 years old and lives on Juist, a small island in the North Sea with just 1,500 residents. His school class has only four students, there are almost no cars, and in winter the island can be completely cut off from the mainland by bad weather.
In this video, Shahin shows us his everyday life — biking to school, dreaming of becoming a pilot, dealing with loneliness in winter and finding connection through social media. While summer feels like paradise, the quiet months reveal the challenges of growing up somewhere so remote.
Would you trade freedom and safety for isolation? Tell us in the comments.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Meet Shahin, 16, from Juist
00:36 Morning routine
01:14 Biking to school (no cars allowed)
02:44 Shopping, ferries & island life realities
03:44 Free time, dating & his favorite spot on Juist
04:31 The good and the bad sides of island life
05:52 Connecting through social media
06:42 Weather, storms & isolation
07:47 Learning to fly
08:13 Family life and work in the café
09:06 Future plans
#dweuromaxx #youngandeuropean #juist
--------------------------------------------
CREDITS
Report: Shaheen Welling
Camera: Marco Borowski
Edit: Philipp Czegka
Supervising Editor: Mirja Viehweger
--------------------------------------------
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DW Euromaxx brings you engaging insights into European cultures and lifestyles.
What’s it like to grow up on a tiny island — far from cities, schools and dating life?
Shahin is 16 years old and lives on Juist, a small island in the North Sea with just 1,500 residents. His school class has only four students, there are almost no cars, and in winter the island can be completely cut off from the mainland by bad weather.
In this video, Shahin shows us his everyday life — biking to school, dreaming of becoming a pilot, dealing with loneliness in winter and finding connection through social media. While summer feels like paradise, the quiet months reveal the challenges of growing up somewhere so remote.
Would you trade freedom and safety for isolation? Tell us in the comments.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Meet Shahin, 16, from Juist
00:36 Morning routine
01:14 Biking to school (no cars allowed)
02:44 Shopping, ferries & island life realities
03:44 Free time, dating & his favorite spot on Juist
04:31 The good and the bad sides of island life
05:52 Connecting through social media
06:42 Weather, storms & isolation
07:47 Learning to fly
08:13 Family life and work in the café
09:06 Future plans
#dweuromaxx #youngandeuropean #juist
--------------------------------------------
CREDITS
Report: Shaheen Welling
Camera: Marco Borowski
Edit: Philipp Czegka
Supervising Editor: Mirja Viehweger
--------------------------------------------
Subscribe to DW Euromaxx:
bit.ly/DWEuromaxx_Sub
Would you like to find out more about Euromaxx?
▸Website: dw.com/english/euromaxx
▸Facebook: facebook.com/dw.euromaxx
▸Instagram: instagram.com/dw_euromaxx
DW Euromaxx brings you engaging insights into European cultures and lifestyles.
