Taking Care of Yourself at Home: Use of E-Commerce About Food and Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the City of Buenos Aires

Abstract

This chapter presents some reflections on the changes regarding the use of electronic commerce and digital platforms during the period of preventive and mandatory social isolation decreed in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the new services food services, food delivery service, and new practices around home care. To this end, a survey was conducted on eating practices during the first part of the isolation period in April-May 2020, and a digital ethnography was performed on new services around food and home care during the subsequent period. The expository strategy is as follows: 1) the theoretical approach on the sociology of bodies/emotions and its relationship with consumption and enjoyment is described, 2) virtual ethnography is defined based on its advantages as a methodology of social inquiry, 3) research results focused on the acceleration of electronic Commerce and consumption at home are presented during the ASPO, and 4) some final reflections are made.