Internet trends suggest COVID-19 spurred a return to earlier values and activities

American values, attitudes and activities have changed dramatically during COVID-19, according to a new study of online behavior.Researchers from UCLA and Harvard University analyzed how two types of internet activity changed in the U.S. for 10 weeks before and 10 weeks after March 13, 2020 — the date then-President Donald Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency. One was Google searches; the other was the phrasing of more than a half-billion words and phrases posted on Twitter, blogs and internet forums.The study is thelead research article in a special issue of the journal Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies dedicated to the pandemic.Patricia Greenfield, a UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and senior author of the research, said the study determined that the pandemic inspired a resurgence of community-oriented values, with people thinking more about supporting one another. Use of the word “help” on Twitter increased by 37% in the period after March 13, while use of the word “share” increased by 24%.Thinking about othersThe research also found that use of the word “sacrifice” more than doubled on Twitter from before the pandemic to the period after March 13.“‘Sacrifice’ was a complete nonstarter in U.S. culture before COVID,” Greenfield said.The change, the authors wrote, signified that Americans were placing more value on the welfare of others — even if it meant putting their own lives at risk. One example was people’s willingness...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news