COVID-19 and Family and Peer Dynamics in Emerging Adults

Although research on the associations between COVID-19 and social relationships has garnered attention, there has been less of a focus on how COVID-19 was discussed within relationships themselves. The present study deepens the understanding of the wide reach of the pandemic by using quantitative surveys and open-ended responses to explore how individuals discussed and reacted to COVID-19 and related health guidelines in the context of their family and peer relationships. Data were collected from 132 young adults in the U.S. (age = 18.9 years, SD = 0.85; 50% female; 14% ethnically racially minoritized students) using standard procedures established by the university’s undergraduate research pool. Results suggest that young adults talked about COVID-19 more with their families than with their peers. They also reported sharing similar opinions about the pandemic with both their family and their peers. Young adults described COVID-19, overall, as having positive net effects within their family relationships but straining their peer relationships. Qualitative data provide additional, detailed insight on how the pandemic shifted interpersonal dynamics and family and peer relationships.