Information communication technologies as a way to support social capital during the pandemic

Abstract

Relevance. With the rise of the Internet and the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), the available ways of interpersonal communication have changed and expanded. From spring 2020 to the present, the epidemiological situation remains unstable due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Quarantine measures have led to a sharp reduction in face-to-face social contacts or to their complete absence. As a result, for most of the developed countries, computer-mediated communication has become the prior way to keep in touch with family, friends, colleagues, etc. Th ese unprecedented circumstances bring our research to the fore, showing how ICTs can help maintain the social capital of Russians at the individual level. Objective. To determine how eff ective the use of ICTs is in maintaining of the social capital of Russians at the individual level during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design. Th e study was conducted online by presenting the participants with a questionnaire. Th e study sample consisted of 300 respondents aged 18 to 71. All respondents are citizens of the Russian Federation. Th ey answered questions, which determined the perceived COVID-19 threat level, the level of use of ICTs, and the degree of change in relationships with “strong” and “weak ties”. Results. Th e direct relationship between the perceived coronavirus threat and individual social capital can be traced only in relationships with friends and residents of the country. Th ere is no statistically signifi cant relationship with family, colleagues, neighbors, and city residents. In the case of a high level of ICT use, the perceived coronavirus threat does not negatively correlate with the perceived closeness with family, friends, and residents of the country. At the same time, the role of ICT use in the relationship between the perceived coronavirus threat and perceived closeness with colleagues, neighbors and city residents has not been identifi ed. Conclusion. In general, the use of ICTs contributes to the maintenance of the social capital at the individual level during the COVID-19 pandemic.