People are washing their hands more often, spending more time on social media and getting along better with their partners than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic, data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has shown.
The CSO online survey examining the impact of the pandemic five years on took place between January 16th and February 2nd, resulting in responses from 21,003 people.
The third part of the series was made public on Tuesday and it looks at the social impact of the pandemic, showing changes in how people act around one another, the impact of remote work and the effect of social media on health.
Most of those surveyed (56 per cent) reported washing their hands more frequently, with women more likely than men to wash hands more often (61 per cent versus 51 per cent).
Insufficient funds in Enoch Burke’s bank account to cover €79,100 fines, court hears
Principal accused of locking student teacher in school and suggesting they pursue sexual relationship, inquiry hears
Brian O’Driscoll issued with compliance notice by consumer watchdog over ‘misleading’ social media post
Fintan O’Toole: Ireland’s delightful love triangle is ending in a nasty divorce
A quarter of respondents said they now tried to avoid hand shaking in social situations, while 59 per cent said they tried to avoid others when they themselves were sick.
In terms of work-life balance, 56 per cent reported an improvement since starting remote work during the pandemic.
A higher proportion (63 per cent) of those who work from home at least half the working week agreed that their work-life balance has improved, much higher than the 38 per cent who work from home less often.
The survey also found remote work since the pandemic has had a positive impact on familial relationships.
More than four in 10 respondents who lived with their partner when Covid-19 lockdowns were in place and who work from home at least half of the time reported that the pandemic has had a positive impact on their relationship. The comparable rate for employees who do not work from home was 23 per cent.
Workers were more likely to report their frequency of exercising has risen since early 2020. This was more true for employees who work from home (41 per cent), but 29 per cent of people who only work outside home have also increased their exercise.
Younger people were most likely (80 per cent) to say their job satisfaction has improved since they started working from home while those aged 50 to 59 were least likely (59 per cent) to feel this
Most younger people (69 per cent) also reported spending more time on social media since the pandemic. More than three-fifths (64 per cent) of respondents aged 18 to 29 said social media negatively affected their mental health.
The survey looked at the “pandemic puppy” phenomenon, finding 16 per cent of people got a pet during the Covid-19 period.
But 6 per cent of respondents who chose a dog and 3 per cent who obtained a cat during the pandemic said they now regretted getting their animals.
