Pew Study Shows How The Pandemic Has Changed Us

The Pew Research Center has published several reports examining how the COVID-19 pandemic, which officially began impacting the U.S. in March 2020, has altered American life over the past five years. Based on surveys and analyses conducted through late 2024, these reports highlight shifts in societal attitudes, behaviors, work, technology use, and religious practices, while underscoring persistent partisan divides and a complex recovery. 

Here’s a detailed look at key findings from their work, reflecting changes as of March 7, 2025, five years after the pandemic’s onset:

Societal Division and Personal Toll

A major Pew survey from October 2024, involving 9,593 U.S. adults, found that 72% of Americans believe the pandemic did more to divide the country than unite it. This perception aligns with pre-existing trends of political polarization, declining trust in institutions, and a fragmented information environment, all of which the pandemic amplified rather than created. About 75% of respondents reported that COVID-19 took a toll on their own lives—27% described it as a major toll, and 47% as minor. Despite over 1 million U.S. deaths and millions affected by long COVID, only 21% now view the virus as a major public health threat, down from 67% in July 2020, signaling a broad shift toward moving on.

Changes in Work

The pandemic reshaped the American workplace dramatically, as detailed in Pew’s “How COVID-19 Changed U.S. Workplaces: Looking Back 5 Years Later.” Early 2020 saw unemployment spike from 3.8% to 14.4% by April as businesses closed, with a sharp recovery to around 4% by late 2021. Remote work surged—by October 2020, 71% of workers whose jobs could be done from home were teleworking full-time, up from 20% pre-pandemic. By 2024, many still preferred hybrid or remote setups, with most citing better work-life balance, though some noted feeling disconnected from colleagues. Parents faced unique challenges, with employment among mothers dropping sharply in 2020 and not fully rebounding until late 2022. In a 2024 survey, 61% of workers not fully remote felt their employers would handle safety measures appropriately in a future pandemic, though 19% worried about insufficient precautions.

Technology Adoption

Pew’s report, “How COVID-19 Changed Technology’s Role in American Life,” highlights a lasting technological shift. By October 2024, 48% of Americans said the pandemic changed how they use technology, with 18% noting a major change. Younger adults (under 30) were most affected (62%), as were Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans (around 60%), compared to 40% of White adults. Urban dwellers reported higher shifts than rural ones. Among those noting change, 48% said it made life both easier and harder—upper-income households leaned toward “easier,” while lower-income ones reported more hardship. Early in the pandemic, virtual schooling exposed digital divides, with 25% of teens in lower-income households lacking reliable internet or devices, prompting calls for federal action (support for government-provided high-speed internet rose from 28% in 2019 to 43% in 2021).

Perceptions of Risk and Response

Pew’s “Americans’ Views on COVID-19 Risk and Emergency Response” shows a steep decline in perceived threat. By October 2024, only 20% saw COVID-19 as a major population health risk, and 40% likened it to a cold or flu. Mask-wearing plummeted—only 4% wore masks regularly, down from widespread use in 2021, with partisan gaps narrowing (6% of Democrats vs. 2% of Republicans). Looking back, 61% believed the public health system would handle a future emergency well, though Democrats (73%) were more optimistic than Republicans (50%). Trust in scientists dropped from 87% in April 2020 to 73% by October 2023, and 54% felt the media exaggerated COVID-19’s risks.

The findings suggest Americans have largely adapted to a “new normal,” but not without scars.