“Please don't let me become a statistic in this grocery store”: Civic engagement among older Americans since the COVID-19 pandemic onset

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted civic life and upended daily routines. Coffee shops, restaurants, recreation centers, parks, and other ‘third places’ that facilitate communal gathering, interpersonal connection, and meaningful activity closed or operated under tight restrictions. Little is known about longer-term impacts on older adults' civic life since the pandemic's onset. The COVID-19 Coping Study conducted semi-structured interviews in April–July 2021 with 57 adults aged ≥55 across the United States (mean age 71). Reflexive thematic analysis identified heightened sociopolitical tensions and complex community experiences since the pandemic's onset. Participants shared nuanced perceptions of greater physical and emotional distancing, siloed communities, politicized public health adherence, fears of gun violence, and experiences of racial discrimination in shared spaces. Hopeful efforts to re-engage in civic life involved cautious social activities post-vaccination, altered daily routines, and finding a “new normal.” The novel results explore how a large sample of racially and socioeconomically diverse older adults perceive and experience American sociopolitical tensions anchored in shared everyday spaces. Results may inform practical opportunities for policymakers and community service providers to strengthen social infrastructure, support wellbeing, and bolster civic life.