Sociality, Physical Distancing and Information-Communication Technologies in the Period of the Sars-Cov-2 Epidemic

• Main Authors: Blaž Lenarčič, Rok Smrdelj
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Ljubljana 2020-12-01
• Series: Družboslovne Razprave
• Subjects: ict; sociality; epidemic sars-cov-2; social distancing; physical distancing
• Online Access: https://www.druzboslovne-razprave.org/pdf/stevilke/DR94-95-Lenarcic-Smrdelj-WEB.pdf

The article deals with the understanding of sociality in the context of ICT use during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Slovenia. Based on the relationship between ICT and sociality, we argue that physical proximity is no longer necessary to establish and maintain social dynamics in the modern social context. We find that most Slovenians supported the government’s measures to restrict gatherings and movements, and for the majority of the population these measures have had no negative impact on sociability. Further, the qualitative data obtained via observational netnography on Facebook show that various social dynamics took place in cyberspace. They are related to helping people overcome the hardships associated with restricting socialising in physical space, activities targeting specific social groups, and trans- ferring pre-existing activities from physical space to cyberspace.