No more contact restrictions, still isolation?
The times of lockdown and isolation have left their mark: since the corona pandemic, some people have not dared to go out and avoid social contacts, even without a high number of infections. In the RND interview, the psychologist Ulrich Stangier explains what is known regarding Cave syndrome – and why we humans do not react well to isolation.
Mr. Stangier, the pandemic is not over yet, but we have been able to live largely without restrictions for months. Parties and other social activities are possible with almost no restrictions. Have we in Germany mostly returned to our normal rhythm or is the threat of the virus still affecting us in everyday life?
In general, the current mood in Germany is that you are exposing yourself to the risk of infection and doing a lot with other people once more. That wasn’t the case a year ago – at that time there was a lot more fear in the population and we also had more restrictions. However, it is currently apparent that mass events, among other things, are quite well attended, that hardly anyone wears a mask there and that many people are much less afraid.