[music]

Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. For our last 12 minutes or so, we'll end with a call in as we often do. Do you remember that four years ago this week was when the very first COVID case was diagnosed in New York, and what happened? People began canceling plans. As we mark this anniversary, it was March 1st. We're going to open up the phones for our last minutes and ask what ways has the pandemic permanently changed or at least changed for four years, the way you hang out.

Give us a call or text us, 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. The answer seems to be that at least for some significant number of people, they're hanging out a lot less than before. There's a newer article in The Atlantic, which is what prompted this call, titled Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out, and it says, Americans across all age groups, ethnicities and income levels are hanging out less than ever.

Listeners, does that sound like you? 212-433-WNYC. Call up and tell us a story about yourself, 212-433-9692. Are certain activities like outdoor ones more appealing when COVID cases surge? Maybe you've been getting together for dinner less, lately, at all, or specifically for indoor dining. The author of that piece, Derek Thompson, notes that American men in particular reduced their average hours of face-to-face socializing by 30%. Maybe the women in their lives had to push them into it in the first place. It really is split by gender according to these stats.

Maybe we have some men who are trying to socialize again in person. What has that been like? Are you having trouble finding fellow guys who are as interested in hanging out as they were before the pandemic, whether or not it's from fear of COVID. That's kind of the point. This is not just about, "Oh, I'm afraid I'm going to get COVID if I go hang out with the guys or hang out with anybody. I maybe discovered that I like it. I like being by myself more of the time." The article, Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out. Tell us a story of yourself. Tell us a story of someone you know.

The article focuses on how social media has become a stand-in for social lives. According to the article, beyond in-person hanging, several other forms of socialization have declined by about a third in the past 20 years, including the share of Americans who volunteer and the share of Americans who attend religious services over the weekend. Derek Thompson finds longer-term connections there, but have you stopped hanging out as much since COVID started four years ago and not gone back? Whether or not it's from actually fear of catching the virus, or tell us the story of anyone you know, 212-433-9692. We'll take your calls right after this.

[music]

Brian Lehrer on WNYC. All right, we don't have that much time. Our other things ran long today, but we've got plenty of stories of how the COVID pandemic, which started with its first New York State diagnosis four years ago this week, has permanently changed hanging out or not hanging out for many people. Phil, in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi, Phil.

Phil: Hi. How are you doing Brian? Our temple has an innovative rabbi who's been a guest on your show and to keep the community together, there was a schmooze group that started online. It's actually been growing each year. Four years later, it's still on Zoom. Saturday from 1:00 to 2:00. We have people from around the world. From Germany, people from California, and we've learned so much about each other. People who we knew a little bit before, people who we had never met. Mainly--

Brian Lehrer: Let me ask because I want to go through some calls quickly in our short time. Is it mostly seniors or do you find it's age diverse?

Phil: Mostly seniors, but we've gotten students, early 20s but predominantly seniors.

Brian Lehrer: Phil, thank you so much. Debra in Denver. You're on WNYC. Hi, Debra.

Debra: Hi there. I am part of a friend group that goes way back to college. We're in our late 60s. Before COVID, we used to meet on the first Sunday of every month in person and we would trade off who hosts the party. Since COVID, well, first of all, we switched to Zoom meetings, which is much less satisfying because there's no food [chuckles] and you can't see people face to face. Now, when we do meet in person, we require that all the guests test for COVID that morning before they make the trip. That's how we keep ourselves safe.

Brian Lehrer: I can't eat on Zoom. I don't know about you. You can eat when you're sitting with people in person, and it makes sense. It doesn't make sense to be eating in front of somebody on Zoom. Debra, thank you. Thank you very much. David, in Los Angeles, you're on WNYC. Hi, David.

David: Oh, wow. Hi, Brian. First time in a long time. I was calling because I'd say the very short version is the way I value outdoor space has forever changed. My partner has some serious health issues, and so we remain more cautious than most people. As time has passed, there's more different from the average ways that people think about cautiousness around, I guess, spaces and things that became really familiar to us in 2020, 2021. Outdoor space, it's the easiest way to meet in the middle without asking someone to change the way they're doing, but it makes a huge consideration. That's probably the single biggest change for me.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you, David. Thank you very much. Natasha in Croton-on-Hudson, you're on WNYC. Hi, Natasha.

Natasha: Hi, Brian. I was just calling in to say that in our town in Croton-on-Hudson, we have a local bar called The Green Growler. Every day, after work or whatever, you pop in around happy hour and there's always a nice collection of people hanging out. It seems like that number has dwindled in recent history, like post-COVID. It makes me sad because there was always something to do. You'd always bump into somebody you'd know. I just noticed that with local establishments, it seems like less people are going out to collect organically in these public spaces.

Brian Lehrer: Have you had any experience trying to get somebody to come out and they're like, "Oh, I don't know. I'd just rather be home."

Natasha: I feel like, yes, that's true. Oftentimes, I feel like people are less motivated to go out or when you do go out, they're, I don't know, less likely to show up.

Brian Lehrer: Natasha, thank you for checking in. Mark in Fanwood, who I think is going to be our last caller is going to give us the counter-narrative, I believe. Mark, you're on WNYC. Hello?

Mark: Hey, Brian. Interested in that, I'm taking a counter-narrative. Before COVID and during the first part, I'm a old white guy. I ended up going to a Black bar, which had a pool table. After a while, after a few visits, people stopped being quiet around me and talking to me, and it got to be a pretty good scene. Then after COVID, I stopped going there and they got rid of the pool table. I happened to end up in a Latin pool hall. I'm the only Anglo guy there.

Fortunately, I can speak some Spanish and I'm having a ball there man. I go there and after about several months, usual suspicion at first, but after several months, man, I go in there, I want to play pool. People come up and shake my hand. I'm sort of the Anglo mascot.

Brian Lehrer: What you told our screener in addition is that you've been hanging out more post-pandemic. Is that right?

Mark: Darn right.

Brian Lehrer: Appreciate it more?

Mark: Absolutely, 100%. Yes.

Brian Lehrer: Appreciate because you were able to go back to something that you couldn't do for a while?

Mark: Yes, but also one thing quick. What I'm doing, what I've described as my individual going to a place, but also clubs. I belong to two or three nature-oriented clubs, so there--

Brian Lehrer: Mark, I'm sorry, that has to be the last word because we're out of time, but I've got you. Clubs as well as places. Listeners, thank you for your calls on hanging out more or less. Thanks to Derek Thompson from The Atlantic for the article that prompted that. That's the Brian Lehrer Show for today, produced by Mary Croke, Lisa Allison, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond and Esperanza Rosenbaum. Zach Gottehrer-Cohen edits our National Politics podcast. Our intern this term is Ethlyn Daniel-Scherz. Juliana Fonda, and Milton Ruiz at the audio controls.

Copyright © 2024 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.