During the first lockdown, finding new ways to connect and stay in touch with friends and family was likely one of the top items on your agenda.

From weekly Zoom quizzes to online escape rooms and virtual birthday parties, social media was awash with people doing what they could to spend time with others despite the circumstances.

Fast forward to lockdown 3.0, however, and it’s a very different story. Sure, there may be the odd Zoom call penciled in to your (rather empty-looking) diary, but for the most part, that energy many of us had during the first lockdown seems to have dissipated.

If you’re anything like me, the idea of holding a conversation – let alone engaging in a pub quiz, virtual murder mystery or online event – is enough to make you want to curl up under the duvet and re-watch yet another episode of your favourite TV show. So why is this?

Friendships in lockdown: why your motivation to socialise is at an all-time low right now