Four in ten Americans are nervous about socializing again post-pandemic

As the vaccine rollout continues in the US, a return to something resembling “normal” may be on the horizon. But some Americans are feeling nervous about the prospect of social interaction after a year of social distancing and Zoom hangouts.

A YouGov poll of more than 4,000 people finds that two in five (39%) Americans say they are very or fairly nervous about the idea of interacting with people socially again. Among 18-to 24-year-olds, 50% say they are nervous about it. A similar number of 25-to 34-year-olds (47%) feel the same way.

Overall, most (54%) Americans are not feeling anxious about the prospect of returning to social interactions. Those who are 55 or older are especially likely (65%) to say they’re not nervous.

Women (43%) are slightly more likely than men (34%) to say they’re feeling nervous about the prospect of social interaction.

But those social interactions on the horizon may be masked ones. Additional data from YouGov suggests that many Americans anticipate they will continue wearing face masks even after the pandemic is over. One-quarter (25%) say they think they will wear a mask frequently, while 31% think they will wear one only in special circumstances.

Related: Is it acceptable to take a COVID vaccine that will be thrown out?

Methodology: 4,021 US adults were surveyed between March 26 – 29, 2021. The responding sample is weighted to be representative of the US population.

Image: Getty