In these uncertain times yada yada, we’re certain about one thing…COVID-19 sucks.
As a market research company, we appreciate the power of facts and numbers – but most data surrounding the pandemic focuses on the horrible tragedies caused by Coronavirus.
That’s why we conducted a (not so typical) national survey that focused on common and unique quarantine experiences regarding fashion, entertainment, sports, and more.
A total of 834 responses were received, and at the 95% confidence level, it offers a 3.4% margin of error.
Here is a summary of the key findings from our quarantine survey (click the title to read more in-depth results):
- Fashion: Nearly half (42%) have not worn real pants in at least a few weeks.
- Entertainment: 9 in 10 U.S. adults believe Carole Baskin killed her husband in the Netflix documentary, Tiger King.
- Sports: 45% of fans agree that sports leagues should go about their seasons with empty stadiums.
- Beauty: While most of the U.S. needs a haircut, only 1 in 7 trusts their quarantine buddy to help.
- Family and Relationships: On average, respondents said they were calling their loved ones 1.5 times more now than before the COVID-19 quarantine.
- Working From Home: 1 in 3 have noticed something unusual about their co-workers during a virtual meeting…
Most agree their wardrobe has changed since quarantine began. How?
46% of respondents described their go-to quarantine attire as "the comfier the better". More notably, 20% of U.S. respondents admitted they were rocking the same outfit they were wearing yesterday - and the day before that.
Another 20% said nothing had changed in their attire during COVID-19. Psychopaths - er, I mean - a few respondents said they were sporting a dress shirt and sweatpants (9%).
Funny enough there was a small sample of people who didn’t realize other people had still been wearing clothes this whole time (6%).
Breaking this down a bit by generation...
Gen Z was mostly rocking comfy clothes (46%) or yesterday’s attire (30%), while Baby Boomers were most likely to still be sporting their pre-quarantine wardrobe (36%).
Nearly half (42%) have not worn real pants in at least a few weeks.
Real pants? What are they? Most said they wore real pants (i.e., jeans, khakis, dress pants) the other day (34%) or they never stopped (24%).
Others said in the online survey...
- "It’s been a few weeks" (17%)
- "Over a month" (16%)
- "I don’t even know the last time I wore real pants (9%)
Summary of Key Findings:
- 1 in 5 are wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
- On average, 1 in 10 people on your Zoom call are wearing a dress shirt with sweatpants.
- 1 in 2 described their go-to quarantine attire as “the comfier the better.”
- While Gen Z is opting for comfy clothes or yesterday’s attire, Baby Boomers are still sporting their pre-quarantine wardrobe.
- 1 in 10 cannot remember the last time they wore jeans, khakis, or dress pants. (Let’s make “quaran-jeans” a thing, right?)
While 1 in 3 says they’re too mature for TikTok, Gen Z disagrees.
Roughly one-third (30%) respondents of the quarantine survey said they were too mature for TikTok.
Others said they would scroll TikTok when they’re bored (29%) or didn’t know what the app was (16%).
There were some differences by generation.
Most Gen Z-ers said they would scroll when they’re bored (34%), while one in ten went as far as to say "TikTok was a way of life" (9%).
Most Millennials (33%) and Gen X-ers (34%) said they were too mature for TikTok.
Lastly, most Baby Boomers and Traditionalists didn’t know what TikTok was (38%).
In our national survey, 9 in 10 U.S. adults believe Carole Baskin killed her husband in the Netflix documentary, Tiger King.
*The experts at Drive Research could not be reached for comment.*
Summary of Key Findings
- Most Gen Z-ers said they scroll through TikTok when they’re bored (34%) and one in ten (9%) said TikTok is a way of life.
- Most commonly, Baby Boomers and Traditionalists didn’t know what TikTok is (38%).
- 90% of U.S. adults believe Carole Baskin killed her husband, Don Lewis
45% of fans agree that sports leagues should go about their seasons with empty stadiums.
- Nearly 1 in 3 are unsure if leagues should have games.
- 1 in 4 think it’s best for sports to be put on hold for now.
- Gen Z and Gen X were most likely to say sports could wait for now, while Millennials and Baby Boomers were less likely.
3 in 4 impatient fans don’t care about empty stadiums as long as they can watch sports on T.V.
- Most said they’re just itching for a sense of normalcy (61%) and that being able to watch some sports are better than no sports at all (60%).
- Others noted the loss of revenue for the leagues (31%) and being able to play in fantasy leagues again (22%).
Nearly 2 in 3 sports fans said games just wouldn’t be the same with empty stadiums.
- 1 in 2 said it’s not a proper game without a crowd.
- Others cited player safety (47%) or said that it just shouldn’t be a priority right now (36%).
Sports fans have missed NCAA Men’s Basketball/March Madness (47%) the most.
1 in 2 fans has continued to keep up with sports news despite COVID-19 canceling seasons.
- 1 in 3 sports fans has also been watching reruns of games.
- 1 in 4 has been watching sports on YouTube or playing sports video games.
- Despite COVID-19, only 1 in 5 said they hadn’t been doing anything to incorporate sports into their daily life.
While most of the U.S. needs a haircut, only 1 in 7 trusts their quarantine buddy to help.
65% of respondents said they needed a haircut - or already took the matter into their own hands.
Of those who needed a haircut...
- 57% planned to leave it and grow it out for the professionals.
- 15% would opt for boxed dye.
- 14% would trust their quarantine buddy with scissors.
- 14% would watch YouTube tutorials.
- 13% would just go crazy with scissors (and hope for the best).
- 7% would shave all of their hair off.
There were some differences by generation.
While other generations were less brave, Gen Z are most likely to trust their quarantine buddy with the scissors (23%), watch YouTube tutorials (22%), or just go crazy with scissors (22%).
Baby Boomers were most likely to be patient and leave their hair to the professionals (67%).
Gen X was most likely to turn to boxed dye (23%).
Summary of Key Findings:
- 2 in 3 said they needed a haircut (or already took the matter into their own hands).
- Over half planned to leave their hair for professionals.
- A few brave souls said they would shave all of their hair off (7%).
- While other generations were less brave, Gen Z-ers would trust their quarantine buddy with the scissors (23%), watch YouTube tutorials (22%), or just go crazy with scissors (22%).
- Baby Boomers were most likely to be patient and leave their hair to the professionals (67%).
Nearly 1 in 2 college students who moved back in with their family have lost their patience. 43% reported feeling annoyed.
Look, it’s not all bad. After further analysis of the survey findings, we’ve determined quarantine is making people build stronger relationships with their loved ones.
Here’s the data to support this…
- On average, respondents said they were calling their loved ones 1.5 times more now than before the COVID-19 quarantine.
- Before COVID-19, respondents called their loved ones an average of 14 times per month. Since the outbreak, respondents reported calling their loved ones an average of 21 times per month.
- On average, Millennials are calling their loved ones 10 more times per month since the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Gen X and Gen Z are each calling their loved ones an average of 6 more times per month, while Baby Boomers and Traditionalists are only calling loved ones twice more per month.
Nearly everyone (96%) reported that they experienced an awkward occurrence in a virtual meeting.
- Topping the list were technical difficulties (69%), “Uh, I think you’re on mute” (64%), awkward silence (53%), family members interrupting (52%), and pets making an appearance (51%).
- Honorable mentions included talking over one another (50%), dogs barking (44%), funny backgrounds/filters/add-ons (39%), and kids crying/screaming (38%) were also reported by virtual meeting attendees.
- One respondent’s toddler-aged granddaughter “found” the fire extinguisher during a very important meeting, while another respondent mentioned having side text conversations with coworkers during virtual staff meetings.
1 in 3 have noticed something unusual about their co-workers…
- A few respondents noted their co-workers’ “interesting” decor, citing deer heads wearing wigs, bare walls, possible hoarders, political signs, 80s style decor, and high school trophies.
- A couple of co-workers definitely didn’t realize something was in the frame. Respondents listed piles of dirty laundry, drug paraphernalia, alcohol, and naked family members who made appearances.
- Another respondent saw kids pouring water into a shoe in the background. (Kids… gotta love ‘em.)
Drive Research is a market research company specializing in PR polling and surveys. Our services extend across the U.S. and the world. Our New York market research firm has worked with Fortune 500 brands, helping deliver insights, action items, and ROI on their survey efforts.
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