Socioeconomic reorganization of communication and mobility networks in response to external shocks

Ludovico Napoli, Vedran Sekara, Manuel García-Herranz, Márton Karsai*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

Socioeconomic segregation patterns in networks usually evolve gradually, yet they can change abruptly in response to external shocks. The recent COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent government policies induced several interruptions in societies, potentially disadvantaging the socioeconomically most vulnerable groups. Using largescale digital behavioral observations as a natural laboratory, here we analyze how lockdown interventions lead to the reorganization of socioeconomic segregation patterns simultaneously in communication and mobility networks in Sierra Leone. We find that while segregation in mobility clearly increased during lockdown, the social communication network reorganized into a less segregated configuration as compared to reference periods. Moreover, due to differences in adaption capacities, the effects of lockdown policies varied across socioeconomic groups, leading to different or even opposite segregation patterns between the lower and higher socioeconomic classes. Such secondary effects of interventions need to be considered for better and more equitable policies.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2305285120
Pages (from-to)e2305285120
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume120
Issue number50
DOIs
StatePublished - 7 Dec 2023

Keywords

  • COVID-19/epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Pandemics
  • Sierra Leone
  • Social Segregation
  • Socioeconomic Factors

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