Here is why some of us ignore social distancing norms

Muscat: Renewed information about COVID-19, including many rumours, have prompted people to not adhere to social distancing, an official at the Ministry of Health stated.
Ibtihaj Al Areimi, a social worker at Al Masara Hospital, said, “There is no individual who has not received information about COVID-19, methods of transmission, and preventive instructions to avoid it, so we believe that our problem is not in knowledge but in adapting to the changes imposed by the pandemic.”
There are many motivations for not adhering to social distancing, including an individual’s feeling that they have a right to enjoy their life, the right to self-determination in life, death, or adventure, and that social distancing directives limit their freedom to do so.
“Some also feel baffled by the conflict of information and the abundance of news about the virus as well as rumours, so some have become unable to judge and take a position on the epidemic, so they swing between tightening precautions for fear of infection or underestimation claiming it to be a plot,” Al Areimi explained.
“Economic inflation, the high cost of living, and the manipulation of some merchants with the prices of masks and sterilisers have made some doubt about the precautionary measures, and the housing conditions of some, especially the expatriates, make them unable to apply the spacing rules due to a large number of residents in a narrow housing space.”
“Despite the existence of technological alternatives to communication, there are some obstacles, so some people are not satisfied with technical communication for cultural reasons, and old people’s lack of acceptance of technology makes physical communication a social imperative, and the existence of a problem in the communication infrastructure makes technological communication impossible in some geographical areas,” Al Araimi noted.
The opening up of commercial activities has suggested permissibility after the suspension of economic and social life for many months, despite the issuance of decisions to tighten penalties. “The closure of entertainment places constituted a threat to people’s daily routine, and recreational habits are fundamental to many social relationships for their role in enhancing communication and reducing stress,” she added.
Ibtihaj Al Areimi advised that “to reduce the gap between the motives that prevent the individual from adhering to social distancing rules and the obligations of the law, we must call for the reduction of intimidation and guardianship between the two parties (specialists and audience)) in the news and social media when discussing precautionary measures. Avoid calling people reckless and seek to find social and economic alternatives for groups affected by isolation, curfew and precautionary measures.”
“Social change always meets its opponent, and there are always beneficiaries and victims that require negotiation and compensation to convince them of the new situation,” she concluded.