Networks in lockdown: The consequences of COVID-19 for social relationships and feelings of loneliness

Beate Völker

doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2022.08.001

Networks in lockdown: The consequences of COVID-19 for social relationships and feelings of loneliness

Soc Networks. 2023 Jan:72:1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.socnet.2022.08.001. Epub 2022 Aug 9.

Author

Beate Völker^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
² Department of Human Geography and Planning, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Abstract

This paper studies social network changes during the COVID-19 crisis in the Netherlands and their relation to perceived loneliness for the younger and the older cohorts. Arguments from opportunity theory and social capital theory are used to formulate hypotheses on network changes during the pandemic. Core discussion networks and networks with practical helpers from two representative cohorts (18-35 years of age and 65+ years of age, n = 1342 participants in both waves) during the lockdown in May 2020 are compared with networks of the same respondents in May 2019. We find that networks became smaller and more focused on stronger ties, while weaker ties more often decayed. Feelings of loneliness incsreased on average for all respondents and in particular for those who live alone or have a disadvantaged socioeconomic position. Importantly, the decrease in the number of the practical helper network, that is, decline in relatively weaker ties, affects experiences of loneliness in both groups.

Keywords: Network changes in crises; Networks during covid-19; Weak ties and loneliness.