According to a recent survey commissioned by King’s College London, specific demographics have responded differently to the lockdown orders from the Government. Based on the findings, the university has been able to group people into “distinct segments of the population: the accepting, the suffering and the resisting” to classify the different behaviours in response to lockdown measures.
After surveying 2,250 UK residents aged between 18-75, 48% were classed as belonging to ‘The Accepting’ group with 87% saying they’re following “lockdown rules completely or nearly all the time” with only 8% experiencing an increase in their anxiety levels. Unsurprisingly, this group was was less likely to say “they are certain or likely to lose their jobs”. Interestingly, 40% of this group were Conservative voters with a mean age of 50. Comparably, ‘The Suffering’ group, which is 44% of the sample, experienced significant disruption to their sleep and mental wellbeing, with 93% feeling “more anxious and depressed” and 64% having slept “worse than usual” since lockdown measures were introduced, highlighting the serious impact that the quarantine measures are having on the mental health of the population.
Defying the restrictions, ‘The Resisting’ group consisted of 9% of the sample, with 58% agreeing that there is “too much fuss” surrounding the risks associated with coronavirus which has consequently led to them being less likely to follow the guidelines, with only 73% keeping two metres away from others outside. Labour supporters account for 35% of this group, however, this is unsurprising due to the fact that 46% are 16-24 year olds who can be considered to be naturally more rebellious.
In comparison to the vocal and armed protesters resisting the anti-lockdown measures in the US, the dissent in the UK seems mild. Right-wing, anti-quarantine protests have surged across America, with some bearing weapons, proclaiming their civil liberties have been infringed. This uproar does not seem to be diminishing with several thousand protesters marching in Lansing, the Michigan state capital on the 15th of April. Many of the protestors were brandishing ‘Trump 2020’ posters and the President has not seemed to explicitly criticise the dissent from the ‘stay-at-home orders’ imposed by state governors.
Whilst the UK has currently avoided anti-lockdown demonstrations, this reveals the drastically different behaviours that have emerged from the imposed quarantine from the governments across the world, with Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, even joining protests condemning them as “dictatorial”. In light of this, it seems that the anti-lockdown sentiment may only grow despite the extensive evidence that these measures are crucial for the containment of the disease.
By Emma Barker
