In-person and virtual social interactions improve well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Social interactions abound in everyday life. Face-to-face interactions, in particular, catalyze the social connection necessary for psychological well-being. What happens, then, when a global pandemic disrupts normal patterns of socialization? In March 2020, the world uploaded much of its face-to-face interactions online, transitioning en masse to remote work. These circumstances provided a natural experiment for studying how virtual versus face-to-face interactions facilitate psychosocial well-being. We conducted two studies measuring how eight types of interactions related to people's positive affect and social connection. Study 1 tracked virtual interactions and well-being (n = 996) in three waves from May 2020–2021. Study 2 measured participants' (n = 249) virtual interactions and well-being three times daily for two weeks. Both studies indicate that voice calling, group calling, and online messaging are associated with increased social connection and positive affect in the short- and long-term. However, the benefits of face-to-face interactions consistently eclipsed those of all virtual surrogates under investigation.