Covid 19 pandemic has transformed several aspects of public life for the Americans, especially with respect to health, work and socialising. In a major survey, PEW Research Centresaid that the people in the United States now had a different approach, which was quite different from what they had before the pandemic.
AMERICAN SOCIETY; HEALTH
The Pew Centre said that 26 per cent of those who responded said that keeping healthy became more important to them during the COVID-19 outbreak, whether that involved following public health precautions or putting more emphasis on a healthy lifestyle.
Several of the people described the precautions they took to maintain their health as newly important. One respondent quoted said “Keeping a safe distance from people in the stores and places I shop or eat. Make sure to wash my hands enough especially before eating.” Others framed this in more general terms, such as “staying healthy, exercising, eating right and watching out for my mental health.”
AMERICAN SOCIETY; SOCIAL
In the survey, the authors said that about two-in-ten (21 per cent) talked about their renewed appreciation for social activities. Most of the participants said that attending large gatherings and in-person visits with friends and family were more important to them now than before the outbreak. One person described their shift in appreciation this way: “Quality time with the people I love, attending large events whenever the opportunity presents itself.”
However, only a smaller nine percentage were not for going out. One person described the change as “staying out of public places and crowded places.” Another said, “I stay at home more, avoid crowds and public spaces. I also shop earlier to avoid people, buy more in bulk so I don’t have to go out as often.”
AMERICAN SOCIETY; WORK
The survey noted that more people now had more appreciation for life and a comparatively lower priority on work life today. One survey respondent summed up the new priorities this way: “When I worked from home, I was able to be very efficient and finish work during my contract hours. Now that I am back to commuting and interacting with colleagues, that is more difficult to do, but I do not take home work tasks any longer. What gets done at work gets done, and everything else waits for the next business day. My family time is too valuable.”
