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New Videos: Sinan Aral on the Social Impact of Uncoordinated COVID-19 Responses

May 28, 2020

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Sinan Aral,  Director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, explained the findings of a new reserch paper last week. “While we are sheltered in place, we have gone online in record numbers and we are talking to each other,” Aral told Jim Bruade on WGBH News’ Greater Boston May 21. “Social connections from Massachusetts to California to New York to Florida matter in terms of our behavior,”

Aral said that when states don’t coordinate, other states may have to implement more restrictive policies to account for their more relaxed neighbors. “The states with the largest population totals have the most influence because they have people who they are connected to through their citizens in so many places, and so many places are listening to what they are doing over social media,” Aral said.

Watch the full interview here.

Aral also spoke about the research with Chris Hayes on MSNBC  where he explained that “coordinated, not one-size-fits-all” planning among states will benefit all. It can also help governors understand which other states they need to contact about COVID re-opening policies.

Watch the MSNBC interview here.