Now that the pandemic is increasingly taking a back seat in our everyday lives, it is interesting to assess the degree to which people have been (lastingly) affected by such a disrupting event. Even though environmental events are conventionally found to have little to no effect on personality traits, new research shows that Covid was more pervasive in its impact.
Researchers found that the pandemic made younger adults moodier, more prone to stress, less cooperative and trusting, less restrained and responsible. Stress resistance, restraint and responsibility are especially important traits that people generally develop towards maturity.
Even though it’s hard to say if these effects will last, the implications on society can still be significant as it will result in young people ‘growing up’ later or even in adults that are less mature.
