PETALING JAYA: Forced separation and compulsory confinement over the past two years have put ties through the wringer.
As the Covid-19 pandemic makes physical contact risky, friends have drifted apart.
In addition, family members have been cooped up together at home, leading to frazzled nerves and irritation as well as a rising divorce rate.
In combination, these factors have affected everything in life, from job security to health.
As a result, the way people relate to one another has changed, said sociologist Dr Nur Hafeeza Ahmad Pazil.
She said before Covid-19, people could freely meet face-to-face and exchange hugs and kisses.
“But now, we have to limit physical contact and maintain social distancing. The easing of restrictions aside, we are still far from what we were used to pre-Covid-19.”
Nur Hafeeza, a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia specialising in studies related to friendship and intimacy, believes people would eventually get used to the new way of socialising, which is mostly through the internet.
She expects the use of social media and video conferencing to become the mainstay platforms for starting new friendships and maintaining existing ties, adding that people would eventually settle into a routine but continue to be cautious when mingling with others.
“There will be less hugging and kissing until we are free of the virus.”
Nur Hafeeza said the new condition could have an impact on intimacy and friendship.
“Casual friends may drift apart, but we will make an effort to keep close friends close, either by meeting occasionally or through social media.
“We need to be in touch with members of our family and close friends,” she said, adding that the objective was to stay connected.
Clinical psychologist Dr Joel Low agreed that the pandemic and lockdown have affected perceptions of social relationships extensively.
Low, a director at Mind Psychological Services and Training, explained that body language and facial expressions formed an integral part in social communicative abilities.
“But two years of wearing masks and communicating through Zoom have made it necessary for us to relearn how to communicate non-verbally.
“Yet, we are now forced to learn new ways to get our message across or to get the information we need,” he said, adding that communication had been quite an under-rated part of socialising.
He said the way people show affection has also changed, pointing out that while some people express love and affection through words and acts of kindness, others thrive on physical contact through a hug or a peck on the cheek.
“Not being able to do this can leave some people feeling incredibly lonely and isolated from those around them.”
Low said human interaction would have to change going forward, whether or not people like it.
“Otherwise, we will be left only with mediums such as text messages and video calls.”
Low believes that with the easing of restrictions and an increase in outdoor activities that enable social distancing, the impact of the pandemic on social relationships could be remedied.
“We are resilient, we are resourceful and we can bounce back. Change may not be easy but we can adapt to most of it.”
On the other hand, Low said drifting apart and a shrinking circle of friends may not necessarily be bad.
“It can be quite therapeutic and beneficial to go through our social media accounts and ‘prune’ those who we deem are no longer good for us.”
Low added that before the pandemic, there could have been times when people engaged in social interaction out of a sense of duty and obligation rather than on their own volition.
“Now, we can always filter out those we do not want to meet again.”