Pew Research Survey: The Struggles and Silver Linings of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Image Copyrights:
Working from Home: Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Grocery Store: Photo courtesy of H-E-B Newsroom
Truckers: Matt York / AP
Server cleaning tables: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
In a survey released on March 17, 2021, Pew Research provided an analysis of survey responses to questions about Americans' views and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Almost 90% of Americans had a negative change in their own lives, while almost three-quarters (73%) of the respondents mentioned a positive outcome. Most (67%) reported both negative and positive effects.
The survey was conducted from August 31-September 1, 2020. By then, over 180,000 Americans had perished from COVID-19, while hundreds of thousands of Americans had contracted the disease and survived. In spite of all the negative impacts from the disease, death, loss of job/business, missing family and friends, etc., most did see at least one positive consequence.
Impact on Relationships:
• 41% said they missed their family and friends
o Feelings of isolation
o Some respondents have more-crowded living conditions
• 33% describe positive impacts
o Spending more time with spouses, children, and other family members who now work from home;
o Others discuss connecting with loved ones via video chat - seeing distant relatives more often than before the pandemic
• Many enjoy a lack of social obligations
Younger Americans more often mentioned positive developments with regard to relationships:
• 40% of respondents under 50 reported positively
• 25% of respondents over 50 reported the same
Impact on Activities: Disrupted Routines and New Hobbies
• 32% of respondents discussed how the pandemic limited their activities or how they use their free time
o Feeling stuck at home
o Not able to travel
• 26% of respondents remarked how the pandemic had improved their lives
o A slower pace of life
o New hobbies
o More time to get things done around the house
o More time to relax
Negative impact on health, loss of loved ones, depression
• 14% of respondents said that their physical or mental health had improved
o Some were eating a healthier diet or exercising more often
o Others felt less-stressed
• 28% of respondents described how their health or their loved ones' health had declined
o Many mourned the loss of loved ones or discussed their experience of having gotten sick from the virus
o Others described weight-gain, depression, and stress, lack of exercise
Impact on Society and Politics
• 26% say that our government, society, and culture has degraded during the pandemic
o Many voiced frustrations with wearing a mask
o Many were upset with the lockdowns, feeling that the danger was over-hyped
o Others were dismayed at those who refused to respect the mask mandate
Impact on Work: Improvements for some, worse for others
• 23% of respondents describe how the pandemic has negatively affected their job or career or people they know
• 13% discussed positive changes, mostly that they were working from home
o Of the 13%, 21% are college-educated, 8% earned a high school diploma
Impact on Personal Finances: Some have saved money, others feel strained financially
• 22% of respondents are being affected financially by the pandemic
• 33% reported that they had to use money from savings to pay for living expenses
• 25% said they had difficulty paying their bills
o Many said they were unemployed or had recently lost their job
o Others expressed frustration with rising prices, job/business loss, and cost-of-living increases
• 13% reported that their financial status had improved, seeing the pandemic as an opportunity to save money
Click here to read the report and anecdotes from respondents: