Pandemic sparked conflicts among 1 in 4 Dutch people, study reveals

The coronavirus crisis has significantly impacted Dutch society. Research indicates that one in four Dutch people encountered conflicts with family, friends, or acquaintances due to the pandemic, with one in ten even losing contact with them.

This is according to DIT, the journalistic platform of the EO, which conducted a study in collaboration with DataIM to explore how Dutch people reflect on the coronavirus period.

The study reveals that a quarter of the Dutch population had conflicts with family, friends, or acquaintances, triggered by the virus or related issues. The majority of these disputes (72 percent) revolved around the vaccine. Other contentious topics included coronavirus measures (58 percent), the perceived danger level of the virus (44 percent), and conspiracy theories (40 percent).

Younger individuals experienced these types of conflict more frequently than older ones.

The research found that over 30 percent of Dutch people believe journalists were too lenient in their coverage of the government's corona policy, while nearly 20 percent view journalists as having been too critical. However, almost half of the respondents perceive journalists as having maintained neutrality towards the government policy.

The study also reveals a decline in trust towards various institutions and professional groups during the coronavirus crisis. Specifically, over 43 percent of people reported a decrease in trust in the media, whereas trust increased for just over 4 percent and remained unchanged for around 52 percent.

Confidence in politicians saw the most significant drop, with almost 60 percent of respondents stating a decrease in trust.