Going beyond your information bubble is now more difficult than usual, and the temptation to judge social reality by the example of loved ones is only growing. Sociologists have studied how our behavior has actually changed
Sociologists may even be pleased with the situation of recent months – the ongoing changes open up great opportunities for research. The results of this work will help us understand how communication, planning and buying strategies have changed.
In April, 12 research agencies organized a joint study in 11 cities of our country: they conducted 25 focus groups and 20 in-depth interviews. The initiator was the Joy of Understanding company. In May, the company updated the results together with researchers from TIBURON Research: sociologists conducted 15 more qualitative interviews and interviewed 600 residents of large cities in our country. We publish the latest data, and you can follow the updates in the project’s telegram channel.
Social ties: the weak weaken, the strong strengthen
Self-isolation has helped to look at your social circle in a new way. Many were surprised to notice that they do not miss most of their relatives, friends and acquaintances. People wonder if this communication gives them something of value, or if they are wasting time. In addition, the likelihood of chance meetings today has come to naught – and this has become an “indulgence” for refusing to communicate.
“I don’t like to visit and, moreover, invite guests to my place, I used to do it because I had to, but now you can just say “we self-isolated” and not come up with an explanation.”
“There are acquaintances with whom I used to meet once or twice a month, they went somewhere, sat, chatted, drank, but now they don’t and don’t need to. I found that I didn’t remember them at all.”
At the same time, strong ties have become even stronger, the value of communicating with truly close people has increased.
“I have been in close contact with my sister all my life, now we have become even closer, we communicate more, support each other. I realized how much I miss her and her children, my nephews, how much I want to see them and hug them. When you spin every day, you forget to show attention and care, and then you understand what is really important.
Old, interrupted or less intense, but significant ties came to life: with childhood friends, classmates, classmates, close colleagues from past work, especially with those who live in other cities and countries. The epidemic and quarantine became an occasion to get in touch and gave a common topic for discussion.
“I found my school friend through social networks, with whom I had not communicated for a long time. I was born and studied in Kazakhstan, I left a long time ago, and he still lives there. It’s just that there was a reason to write, to find out how things are, how health, how the family is, how they are doing with the epidemic, what they can do, what they can’t … ”
Shrinking the space of spontaneity
Now any exit from the house requires composure and preparation: a mask, gloves, and sometimes a prior receipt of a pass. Most of the places where people used to go spontaneously are closed and inaccessible. You can not go not only to the park, cafe, bar, shopping center, cinema, but also just take a walk with friends, visit, meet in the center or on the embankment.
There are fewer spontaneous purchases. People are trying to save money, they are not ready to “spend money” on something that is not urgently needed, especially given the unclear financial prospects.
“Before, I could buy myself a new phone case or some other nice little thing (cosmetics, jewelry, hairpins), but now you’re already thinking if I need it, you’re counting money.”
Or they simply do not get into places where something could “tempt” them.
“You go to work, you go to a coffee shop for coffee, you go to the shopping center for groceries, you buy yourself something from cosmetics, and now you are sitting at home, there is nowhere to go and you don’t seem to need anything.”
Online shopping, unlike “traditional” offline shopping, involves planning. Today, the choice is even more thoughtful, the collected basket is repeatedly reviewed. As a result, the chances of spontaneously buying something randomly attracted along with the necessary things becomes less.
People worry about the lack of spontaneity in everyday life – not enough casual meetings, conversations, freedom in choosing entertainment. But limiting spontaneity in shopping seems to be a positive thing: many believe it will allow them to make their consumption more rational.
During self-isolation, many have sorted out at home and found both a lot of useful things that can be put into use, and deposits of unnecessary, bought on the spur of the moment. This pushes for an audit of buying behavior.
“I sorted it out at home and found that I have a lot of things that I don’t need, but I once bought them, spent money … Now it’s a pity.”
“I just now realized how many clothes I have, you can not buy anything for a long time.”
Living one day: focus on short-term planning
People began to plan what they used to do spontaneously: think over a shopping list and recipes, leisure for themselves and their children, and keep a family budget. This partly allows you to regain a sense of control over your life.
“I began to think about what I will cook tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, what I need to buy, what series we will watch, what we can play …”
Those who work from home have to learn how to manage their time, manage their own resources, overcome procrastination, and figure out how to motivate themselves.
Almost everyone says that control from the authorities has decreased, but they try to fulfill their duties promptly and efficiently (“confirm your need”). People are afraid of losing their jobs because they understand that it will be difficult to find a new one now.
Don’t Think For Tomorrow: Reduced Opportunities for Long-Term Planning
It is impossible to plan entertainment, travel and trips – no one knows how the epidemiological situation will develop and when the bans and restrictions will be lifted.
“I dreamed of getting to one concert, and now it’s generally unknown whether this group will come to Russia.”
“I was going to go to visit my parents and stay with them in the summer, now I don’t know if I can go, if planes will fly, if the borders will be open.”
Many are not sure that they will be able to keep their jobs and the usual level of earnings. Therefore, it is not clear what they will be able to afford in the future.
“I was going to Prague this May, it is clear that everything has been cancelled. Now I’m fighting with the airline so that they return something. They say they give a certificate for a trip in a year. I have no idea if I will have money for a trip in a year or if I will save on food.”
Almost no one has a “safety cushion” that allows them to plan for the future in the face of financial uncertainty.
“I work from home, the salary has now been reduced, as there is not enough work. There are savings, but they will last for a month or two, what plans will you make here?
Loss of control over your life increases anxiety. But the fact that everyone found themselves in this situation somewhat reconciles with reality.
“It’s sad, of course, that nothing is clear about this year’s vacation, I really want to go to the sea, but no one is flying anywhere, the whole world is sitting at home.”
Grocery shopping becomes more emotional
Grocery shopping acquires special meaning and emotional overtones. Given that other types of shopping are now of little relevance, going to the grocery store is becoming one of the few entertainment options available. This is a legitimate reason to leave the house, take a walk, “break out of the four walls”, take a break from family and children. Grocery shopping and the subsequent preparation of food are becoming important topics for discussion on social networks.
Grocery shopping is gamified: there is a passion to buy at the best price, to discover something new in the assortment, to choose the best offer, to find certain products in different stores.
“I used to go to ZARA to please myself, every time you buy a blouse or T-shirt, but now I like to go around all the shops in the area to find the most beautiful tomatoes at the best price.”
At the same time, the geography of buying goods is expanding. People are actively exploring the stores in their area, comparing the assortment, prices, quality of products, visiting more outlets than before.
Ambiguity of self-isolation
People knowingly or unknowingly violate the regime of self-isolation. Some people fail to review their habitual behavior, while others underestimate or ignore the danger of infection. If a person is not ready to give up something, he comes up with excuses for himself, explains to himself and others why his actions are necessary or safe.
The general fatigue from self-isolation also leaves an imprint (“understand, we are already just stunned to sit in one room”) and the lack of a clear position of the state. Given that the country has not declared a state of emergency and quarantine, but only a regime of self-isolation, people believe that they have isolated themselves as much as possible.
Many violate self-isolation unconsciously, do not realize that they are doing something forbidden: they go to visit their family members who live separately, including elderly relatives. Sometimes they also bring their children to them (“Grandma misses her granddaughter”). In addition, people do not observe social distance when communicating with loved ones – they continue to hug and kiss at a meeting and farewell – and meet with friends (“we are self-isolated and friends are the same, so we go to visit each other”).
Why violate
People are embarrassed and ashamed to show that they can perceive their relatives and friends as a source of infection. It is much easier to break the rules than to demonstrate that you are afraid of getting infected from a loved one, offending him with your distrust. It is significant that even those who follow the rules and avoid communication usually explain this by the fact that they themselves can be asymptomatic carriers – that is, they are afraid of infecting others, and not getting infected themselves.
Fear of being misunderstood and following the rules can be perceived as a reluctance to communicate and spend time together – especially for older relatives.
“I can’t bring bags of groceries to my mom, leave them on the doorstep and leave. She will be mortally offended if I do not come with her to sit, talk, drink tea. She thinks I don’t have time for her.”
Many believe that relatives and close friends cannot be a source of infection – the virus always spreads through strangers (first foreigners and those who came from abroad, then Muscovites, etc.)
People are looking for ways to get around the taboos and keep their habits and their territory of freedom. At the same time, no one wants to come into conflict with the authorities – therefore, many pretend or sincerely believe that they comply with the restrictions, even violating them.
“We see with what flexibility people approach the rules of their own and public safety,” comments Alexander Novikov, General Director of Joy of Understanding, “many people easily rationalize the fulfillment of their previous desires, habits and situational “pauses” in following the rules. This approach dramatically reduces the effectiveness of measures to counter the spread of the virus. And if there is no new and noticeable increase in the number of cases, then the rules that we are now following – masks, gloves, social distance – will gradually turn into a strange system of ritual actions to protect ourselves from the fears of the new time.
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