Most Americans will be more social this winter. Here’s why.

Many Americans are heading back inside as the weather starts to turn – but unlike last pandemic winter, most won’t hesitate to get social indoors, according to new data from the Ipsos Coronavirus Consumer Tracker. The main reasons: People have grown more comfortable with the pandemic – but also have fear of missing out.

Though the COVID-19 delta variant is rising again in the U.S., Americans say they’ll be more active as the weather turns cold. More than two in three people (69%) say they plan to do more indoor activities this winter than they did this summer – interestingly, with little difference between colder regions like the northeast and warmer ones like the south.

News is good for restaurants this year, as outdoor dining season ends across much of the U.S.: More than half of Americans (52%) say they plan to eat indoors at restaurants more often than they did in the summer and fall – though a majority (55%) also say they plan to increase their carry-out and delivery compared to earlier this year, rather than dine indoors.

“Our data shows that restaurants that persevered through pandemic will find themselves busier this winter than last,” said Kris Hull, a senior client officer at Ipsos. “While many won’t have an outdoor patio to support in the coming months, restaurants should make sure they’re appropriately staffed to support diners’ demands for convenient carry-out – a pain point for many as demand returned earlier this year.”

Most parents – 70% – say they’re likely to allow their kids more indoor play dates this winter. With vaccines now available for kids as young as 5, this may be making some of the more anxious parents of school-aged kids feel better about socializing indoors.

So what’s driving this? The largest chunk of Americans say it’s good old fashioned FOMO – fear of missing out as another pandemic winter bears down. More than two in five (43%) say it’ll simply be too cold, with fewer outdoor activities available, and they don’t want to miss out. Another 35% say they simply feel more comfortable about the state of the pandemic in their area, while 22% say it’s because everyone in their household is now vaccinated.

If COVID cases continue to tick up again, Americans could still change their minds and retreat – but they also might become eager to socialize as the weather outside becomes frightful. More Americans will also soon be eligible for COVID boosters, as well as shots for kids, including the next eligible group – those younger than 5.

It all depends on the behavior of the majority of Americans who are vaccinated, who retreated en masse when the delta surge arrived. While they seem determined to return to normalcy at the moment, that could change in the months and weeks to come if a new surge arrives.