Navigating COVID-19: Insights from research on social ostracism

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing and lockdowns has caused unprecedented changes to social life. We consider the possible implications of these changes for mental health. Drawing from research on social ostracism emphasizing the importance of social connection for mental well-being, there is reason for concern regarding the mental health effects of the crisis. However, there are also reasons for optimism; people can be surprisingly resilient to stressful situations, the impact of ostracism tends to depend on social norms (which are rapidly changing), and mental health depends primarily on having at least one or two close social connections. Given the scale and unprecedented nature of the social disruption that occurred, we see strong reason for concern, but not despair.

The effects of COVID-19 on virtual working within online groups

“…The lack of informal communication compounds the difficulty in creating intragroup relationships, especially for new employees. While established employees have the advantage of knowing their coworkers, new employees do not, which makes new employee socialization extremely difficult (see Hales et al, 2021, for discussion of virtual ostracism during COVID-19). All employees, however, miss the benefits of informal interactions.…”

Social attitudes and behavior in the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence and prospects from research on group processes and intergroup relations

“…Highlighted among other issues in their article is the importance of social media as a form of online activism and collective action, especially as people find themselves under strict stay-at-home orders with a large part of their contact with the outside world transacted through social media. Hales et al (2021) explore the implications of lockdowns and social distancing guidelines for mental health from the perspective of social ostracism. Restrictions on movement and behavior can result in people feeling ostracized.…”

“…Third, we turn to worldviews during COVID-19, examining the flourishing of conspiracy theories (Douglas, 2021) and science skepticism (Rutjens et al, 2021), and threats to the self, presented by the pandemic (Kruglanski et al, 2021). Finally, we focus on the pandemic's impact on behaviors, looking at how a move to virtual working has impacted group processes in the workplace (Blanchard, 2021), how it has influenced engagement with social activism (Grant & Smith, 2021), issues of social ostracism and wellbeing in the virtual world (Hales et al, 2021), and differing reactions to conformity and deviance (Packer et al, 2021).…”

Lessons from developmental science to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 restrictions on social development

“…In divided communities, those friendship networks are likely to consist of families from the children's and parents' own community, for example their own religious or ethnic community. In these ways, children's opportunities for interaction with cross-group peers, which is essential for maintaining these more fragile bonds, are likely to be severely restricted by limitations on peer socialisation in response to COVID-19 (see also Hales et al, 2021, for further discussion of the effects of physical distancing on adults' perceptions of being ostracised).…”