The Pandemic has created a very different lifestyle compared to the one with which we are familiar. From a psychological perspective, it has become socially isolating, stressful, depressing, and anxiety-ridden for many. Aside from the obvious reasons, the Pandemic has had an impact on us systemically and culturally resulting in changes in our psychological and social functioning.
First, as Americans, we live in an individualistic culture. That is, there is an emphasis on “me” first. In other cultures, such as in many Southeast Asian countries, the cultural emphasis is on “the group,” not the individual. Instead of individual needs, cultural programming causes people to think and act for the benefit of the community and nation. In the U.S. we think and act in accordance with our own benefit. Of course, there are times that we do consider the good of the “group” such as when it comes to family, sports teams, charity, and work environments. However, we are primarily an individualistic society. With the advent of different social rules due to Covid precautions, Americans now have to be far more community-minded than ever before. In our attempt to keep ourselves and others safe, we need to behave and be considerate of others in unprecedented ways. We now live in a culture where individuals must place the greater good as the priority. We are forced to be thinking of “us” needs instead of “me” needs.
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Second, is the issue of trust. This is the first time, for our own safety, that we have to place our trust in others in terms of their wearing masks, social distancing, and staying virus-free. There is an imperative to conduct ourselves when we are in public, in a way that respects other’s safety. In essence, our heightened awareness of others when we are in public represents a deviation from our norm. Not that we were reckless and inconsiderate of others before the Pandemic, we just weren’t as cognizant or even thought about our physical distance to others or shaking hands, hugging, and other previously common greetings and cultural rituals.
A third marked societal deviation is the impact of philosophy, values, political affiliation, and behavioral differences among people when they are in public. In the past, these differences certainly existed, but were predominantly covert, or, at best, subtly obvious. Perhaps you could make assumptions about an individual’s religion or where they are on the political spectrum by the way they dressed, but only if it was obvious. People are more conscious of others’ political and philosophical orientations based on the presence of a mask or observance of social distancing. The result, which I am sure you have witnessed, has been hostility and anger toward perfect strangers if they differ from you regarding mask and social distancing behavior.
Finally, many of us have had a significant shift in our identity. For many, it has been a difficult alteration and for others, a welcome one. For those whose identities are closely linked to their social and family life, there have been extreme limitations in your ability to engage in that part of your identity. Work-life has also been extremely altered. Our face-to-face interactions have been minimized or eliminated in terms of the personable aspects of our work life. A salesperson who previously traveled to clients to conduct business is now limited to a one-dimensional video transaction.
So, we have a shift in our cultural orientation to become more of a collective as opposed to an individualistic society. We have become overly reliant on trusting others for our own safety. Our overt behavior implies differences in people to the point that hostility can result. And we have had to shift our identity, altering the way we think about ourselves, modifying and limiting our social/family relationships, and how we generally conduct our lives. Despite the major overhaul in our lives dictated by the Pandemic, we are still all in it together with the common goal of happiness.
Dr. Michael Osit is a Licensed Psychologist practicing in Warren, and author of The Train Keeps Leaving Without Me: A Guide to Happiness, Freedom, and Self Fulfillment (2016), and Generation Text: Raising Well Adjusted Kids In An Age Of Instant Everything (2008).