ABSTRACT
Introduction: The covid-19 pandemic has left a high number of infected and dead in the world, where several social measures have been imposed on the population, especially social isolation. Objective: Given this scenario, based on Vygotsky's socio-historical theory, this original article aimed to identify the meanings of social isolation in the covid-19 pandemic for Brazilian youth. Method: A survey was carried out, with the participation of 571 young Brazilians, women and men aged between 18 and 25, who answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Free Word Association Method (FWAM), analyzed with the help of IRaMuTeQ. Results: The results showed that virtualized socialization is insufficient for the social demand of young people, as evidenced by the most evoked words in category 1, "Homesickness” (χ² = 55,41);"Boredom” (χ² = 50,06);"Anxiety” (χ² = 42,67);"Loneliness” (χ² = 37,15);"Sadness” (χ² = 32,78). It was also identified that their routine was transformed with the insertion of obligations and leisure primarily in the home environment, demonstrated by the prevalence of words like "House” (χ² = 116,18);"Home Office” (χ² = 26,06);"Movie” (χ² = 26,06);"Mask” (χ² = 24,96);"Alcohol” (χ² = 21,67);"Lockdown” (χ² = 21,67), in category 2. Still, young people brought their resignifications in this period, in the face of collective responsibility, indicated by the choice of words in category 3, such as "Care” (χ² = 84,05);"Responsibility” (χ² = 59,21);"Respect” (χ² = 55,03);"Prevention” (χ² = 52,68);"Empathy” (χ² = 34,06);"Protection” (χ² = 21,99). Conclusions: It is concluded that isolation brought negative consequences on relationships and mental health of young people, but also a greater social awareness. © 2023, Universidad Simon Bolivar. All rights reserved.