No matter how unpredictable and divergent the world may seem, we are all still connected in how we act, feel, and think. We are also linked by our shared need to connect with ourselves and others, as UCLA social psychology professor Matthew Lieberman says that “our need to connect is as fundamental as our need for food and water.” This is supported by data suggesting that “we are heavily influenced / shaped by our social environment and we are hindered when our bonds are threatened or severed.” One psychotherapist, Dan Roberts, also states that “human are born wired for connection – it’s in our DNA.”
Driven by these connections and our own curiosity, we wanted to tackle the more prickly and intimate questions about COVID-19: how have people’s relationships with themselves, their loved ones, and their community, changed during this time? What kinds of behavioural and emotional changes have people experienced? We partnered with the world’s largest first-party data and insights platform, Dynata, and together, set out to gain a deeper understanding of what happens behind closed doors during quarantine, as if we peered ‘through the keyhole.’ We are excited to share with you five key findings after speaking with over 1,600 Americans and Canadians from a wide range of ages, regions, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Click here to read and download a PDF of our key findings. Stay tuned for a full report of our research which will be available in July 2020.