A study conducted by the Meta Foresight team in August 2021, summarizes the significant change in human interactions, in times of a pandemic. The findings of report titled “The Great Relationship Reset”, explain in three parts the new emerging behaviors and their impacts, namely: the redefinition of the closest friends, the growing interest of different generations in technology and the influences on brands.
72% of people redefine their circle of close friends
36,000 people from 12 markets were tracked and consulted by Meta Foresight to determine relationship trends. During the study, the team sought to understand the effects of the health crisis on social proximity through a detailed survey coupled with interviews and analyzes of anonymized metadata.
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At the end of the survey, Meta underlined the inclination of people to more qualitative relationships with ” small circles “. The first part of the document states that 72% of respondents said that “ the pandemic had caused them to reprioritize their closest friends “. In essence, the surveys and interviews attest that the most determining factors of interpersonal relationships are physical proximity and shared values.
A quest for quality that benefits brands
Meta also reports a distinction in the behavior of the subjects questioned, according to their ages. The three generations of adults approach relationships differently depending on their life stages.
However, the vast majority affirm an intention to leverage technology to expand, improve and sustain connections post-pandemic.
This redefinition of priorities such as reconciliation via modern tools, creates opportunities for brands, according to Meta. According to the report, the consequences of this reset are many and beneficial. On the one hand, brands will become ” relationship facilitator and will be more in demand. On the other hand, commitment and loyalty to brands will be strengthened. Finally, brands will be the levers of a ” collective memory concludes Meta.