Social distancing widens distance between friends: survey

People sit at tables, maintaining social distancing rules at a shopping mall in Seoul, Nov. 8. Yonhap

By Kim Rahn

Social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has estranged people from their acquaintances, resulting in fewer in-person meetings than before, a survey showed, Thursday.

According to the survey of 3,396 adults by recruiting website Saramin, 37 percent of respondents said they have grown apart from acquaintances such as friends and coworkers since social distancing measures took effect early this year due to the pandemic.

Another 62 percent said their relationships have not been affected, and only 0.9 percent said they have become closer with acquaintances.

People are also having fewer in-person meetings than before. The respondents said they used to meet their friends about four times a month on average before the virus spread, but now they only meet about twice.

Around 84 percent said social distancing has changed their decision-making process when deciding whether to meet up with friends ― 54.1 percent of respondents said they get together with friends or coworkers in person only for important reasons while another 39.5 percent said they choose to talk over online messenger services.

Age mattered when it came to relationships. Almost half ― 49.4 percent ― of the respondents in their 50s reported feeling estranged from their acquaintances, followed by 43.2 percent of those in their 40s, 42.4 percent of people in their 30s and 26.5 percent of those in their 20s. “Younger generations are more familiar with communications through online tools, so it seems younger people's relationships with friends are less affected by social distancing measures,” the survey report stated.

Such changes have aggravated the “COVID-19 blues.” Of the 1,255 people who had grown apart from their acquaintances, 54.3 percent felt more depressed than before. Another 34.3 percent said they do not feel depressed from being unable to meet friends and coworkers, and 11.3 percent said they rather like it.