Together Apart: The Mitigating Role of Digital Communication Technologies on Negative Affect During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy

Abstract

The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 has forced governments to impose a lockdown, and many people have suddenly found themselves having to reduce their social relations drastically. Given the exceptional nature of similar situations, only a few studies have investigated the negative psychological effects of forced social isolation and how they can be mitigated in a real context. In the present study, we investigated whether the amount of digital communication technology use for virtual meetings (i.e., voice and video calls, online board games and multiplayer video games, or watching movies in party mode) during the lockdown promoted the perception of social support, which in itself mitigated the psychological effects of the lockdown in Italy. Data were collected in March 2020 (N = 465), during the lockdown imposed to reduce the COVID-19 spread. The results indicated that the amount of digital technology use reduced feelings of loneliness, anger/irritability, and boredom and increased belongingness via the perception of social support. The present study supported the positive role of digital technologies in maintaining meaningful social relationships even during an extreme situation such as a lockdown. Implications such as the need to reduce the digital divide and possible consequences of the ongoing pandemic are discussed.

Emotional Distress in the Early Stages of the Corona Related Lockdowns Depending on the Severity of the Pandemic and Emergency Measures: A Comparative Online-survey in Germany, Austria and Italy

“…The same problems are reflected in the increase of digital media usage such as online-gaming or social media. Despite the fact, that the opportunity to digitally exchange with family and friends during the lockdown and thus to experience social support without social-physical presence or simply receive entertainment, proved to be a constructive coping strategy (6,11), studies have shown that addictive media usage increased during the lockdown (32). This is not surprising when digital communication and instrumental media usage for emotion regulation, remain one of the last possibilities to satisfy socio(physical) needs.…”

The Role of the mHealth in the Fight against the Covid-19: Successes and Failures

“…This development involved both the enhancement and standardization of already consolidated solutions in digital health and the exploration of new potentials such as those of the DCT [ 8 , 9 ]. In many cases, the simple mTech itself has represented a real lifebuoy [ 6 , 7 ] both for the continuation of normal activities (working and teaching) and for providing a safety net. However, this has not always happened in a uniform way.…”

“…The second role is to support teaching, work and relational activities in an exceptional way, allowing social distancing between subjects, such as through messaging and/or video conferencing and/or social network tools [ 6 , 7 ].…”

“…During the pandemic there has been and currently there is an unprecedented use of Apps dedicated to communication for messaging/video. These Apps are mainly used [ 6 , 7 ] in the following sectors: Work activity, where there has been a massive introduction of the smart working tool . Didactics, where there was the introduction of methods of delivery of courses in remote mode.…”

The Relations of Social Support and Social Connectedness to Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-cultural generalizability across 49 countries

“…It is also useful for well-being interventions: those who are in quarantine or in nursing home can use technology to keep connected to their social ties. Indeed, a recent study has demonstrated that digital communications (i.e., voice and video calls, online board games and multiplayer video games, or watching movies in party mode) could maintain meaningful relationship and reduce negative psychological outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic (Gabbiadini et al, 2020).…”