Environmental Factors
COVID-19 has been a major disruptor in the past year. It has affected industries, politics, relationships,
and most facets of our lives. The long term ripple effects of COVID-19 are currently unknown, but we’ve
already seen some significant shifts this year that directly relate to the Prepped & Ready program.
- Online communication
With widespread quarantining and social distancing taking place, individuals are becoming more famil-
iar with teleconferencing technology like Zoom. In particular, most families with children have been forced
into some degree of remote learning situation during the pandemic. Although many of the shifts in online
teleconferencing have involved adapting our in-person, local realities to an online space, this shift has also
opened new avenues for online connection that aren’t limited by geographic location. There is still much
to be learned about the efficacy of some of these online shifts, but the barrier of entry for online
engagement in real-time video conferencing has been dramatically lowered.
Despite the widespread push into online connectivity, there are still technology gaps and gaps in
access, especially in lower income populations, which have been disproportionately affected by the
pandemic.- Mental Health - perception, stigma, increases
The shift into a more isolated, less communal form of living has led to an increased
awareness of the subject of mental health. Additionally there has been a measured increase in mental
health issues that correlate with increased suicide risk.^1 In a national survey of parents with children
under age 18 by the AAP, worsening mental health for parents occurred alongside worsening
behavioral health for children in nearly one in 10 families.- Cultural shifts
The increased isolation and correlating increase in social media usage, in tandem with a
polarizing election cycle, has shifted trust in institutions and fragmented communities. There has also
been a significant cultural shift involving the Black Lives Matter movement, catalyzed by the death of
George Floyd. Causation aside, there are significant cultural divisions that have been heightened in the
past year.- Gun ownership
Gun ownership has increased dramatically in the past year along with a correlating increase in fear and
anxiety due to cultural perceptions that have likely been exacerbated by the pandemic. This increase in gun
ownership due to safety concerns also means that there is likely now a higher percentage of firearms being
stored less safely, as opposed to firearms kept for sport, hunting, or some other reason where accessibility is
less of a concern. Strikingly, new gun ownership in the Black community is up by 58.2 percent.^2
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7672361/
2 https://www.nssf.org/nssf-survey-reveals-broad-demographic-appeal-for-firearm-purchases-during-sales-surge-of-2020/15