• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 27, 2020

With several religious holidays — Passover, Good Friday and Easter — arriving in early April, it might be a good time to start planning a virtual dinner by searching on Pinterest for meal ideas, and on Google and Bing to sign up for the perfect streaming video platform in preparation for a virtual feast with friends and family. 

A new study from S’More shows how people can still entertain during the stay-at-home time, and even suggests that more dating and dining have gone virtual online. One thing is certain -- be sure to order food well in advance, especially in high COVID-19-impacted areas.

Despite President Trump's remarks about wanting to loosen some restrictions by Easter, it looks like we need to make alternative plans.

Social distancing isn’t emotional distancing, according to Adam Cohen-Aslatei, CEO and founder of S’More, a relationship app.

The study — conducted between March 15 and March 23 — pulls anonymous data from 500 app users across the U.S. — adults between the ages of 21 and 65. Additional data was pulled from S’More’s users to identify the way people use the app.

About 72% of people participating in the study report virtually dating. Some 35% say they would do a Facetime dinner date, 24% would send their favorite takeout to a date, 14% will send sweet words via snail mail, 15% will do a joint virtual work out session, and 18% will do something sexy virtually.

On the flip side, 20% of people report that the pandemic makes them feel more alone than ever before.  

About 93% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about COVID-19. The percentage is beginning to show up in attitudinal metrics CivicScience now tracks. Data shows people are concerned about being in public spaces like live events, in restaurants, and on airplanes.

People begin to behave differently the closer the COVID-19 crisis becomes to them, such as when they realize they know someone who has contracted the disease. It’s the best proxy to determine outcomes, said      “It’s doubled in the past five to six days, people who know someone who have been diagnosed with the virus,” he said.

Younger people are much more likely to know someone, because they tend to have larger social networks both online and offline.

That attitude had a major influence in analysts reducing estimates based on a reduction in consumer spending, as brands continue to spend less or halt campaigns on Google, Facebook and Microsoft Bing.