LAST UPDATE: JUNE 9, 2021
Tracking the Return to Normal: Socializing
This tracker is part of a series from Morning Consult gauging when consumers will return to normal activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more and sign up for alerts.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made socializing with others taboo. One important aspect in discerning consumers’ overall comfort levels is understanding their willingness to re-enter these social settings. Morning Consult will continue tracking the public’s comfort with various social situations throughout 2021.
Morning Consult is tracking pent-up demand and excitement for many of the activities listed on this page. Bookmark this page for weekly updates of these figures, and read our deep dive on which industries will see a post-pandemic boom in consumer demand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Comfort in Socializing With Others Hits New Record: Sixty percent of U.S. adults said they feel comfortable right now socializing with others in public places, up 2 percentage points from last week and a new high for the category. The share who said they feel safe going to a party or social event was 51 percent, unchanged from last week.
- 64% of Millennials Say They’re Comfortable Socializing With Others: It’s a 7-point increase from last week and a new record for the demographic. Comparatively, 61 percent of Gen Xers said they currently feel safe socializing with others, a 2-point drop from last week’s record high.
- 51% of Women Say They Feel Comfortable Going on a Date: That’s compared to 64 percent of men, a 1-point uptick from last week and a new high for the male demographic.
- 16% of Americans Say They ‘Rarely’ or ‘Never’ Mask Up: With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s May 13 guidelines telling vaccinated Americans they can largely ditch their masks, 63 percent of adults said they’re “always” wearing a face mask amid the pandemic, a share that did not change from last week.
- About 1 in 4 Americans Say They’re Already Socializing: Twenty-four percent of respondents said they’re already socializing with others in public spaces, unchanged from last week. Demographically, Gen Xers lead the pack with 29 percent indicating they already socialize with others in public.
Tracking the Return to Normal
When will things return to normal and what will our new normal look like? It’s a question that business, economic and government leaders are grappling with as more and more Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
To help answer this complicated question, Morning Consult is tracking how consumer attitudes are shifting across a wide range of categories, from travel to entertainment to dining, to gain greater insight into not only when consumers will be ready to return to their normal activities, but how their habits will be forever changed. We’ll be updating these pages every week with new data and analyses. Sign up for alerts below.