Suddenly Virtual? Potentials and Limits of Video-Based Social Software with regard to Social Isolation among Office Workers in Times of COVID-19

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of loneliness among office workers who have suddenly been forced to work from home in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to find out whether the use of video-based social software can counter-act the feeling of loneliness. An online survey with 381 participants showed that video-based social software is increasingly used, but the use has no influence on loneliness. However, office workers have an increased interest in digital events through their employer.