The conditions created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the isolation it necessitated has had a profound effect on the manner in which interactions take place and how people go about meeting and speaking to each other.
While in theory, social media would be a good supplement to the lack of social interaction that took place over this period, this hasn’t necessarily been the consensus amongst all people.
Despite being the demographic most likely to use social media, young people especially have found this to not always be the case.
Speaking with them reveal sthe complex feelings they have when it comes to the benefits of social media and the impactsocial isolation has had.
Kaylee Ravell is a 20-year-old student whose experience throughout the pandemic resulted in a general disillusionment with digital communication and an increased appreciation for in-person interaction.
When asked how soon she noticed the change she described it as ‘happening pretty fast. About a month in I started to really feel crazy about the situation. I tried tostay in contact with everyone I knew from work and school but it wasn’t the same at all. My job shut down so I had nowhere to go for a while and started to feel a lot more depressed than I ever have before.”
She described her general feelings toward social media conversations; calling them “stale” and “emotionless.”
“When my work opened back up I was pretty happy to start seeing people on a daily basis again. I don’t think I’m the type of person that can go for long periods oftime without any type of interaction. In a way, it taught me how important physical communication is.”
As things slowly began to reopen she found herself with far more peace of mind and eventually felt as she’d returned to normalcy, despite the limitations still in place.
Others had a different experience, though noted the same issues within onlinec ommunication and the things it lacks and can’t provide.
“I liked it at first because I thought itwasn’t going to be much more than a break before things went back to how they were,” said Jack St-Hilaire.
St-Hilaire is a college student and also works at a grocery store when he can, so the thought of a brief reprieve from the work and in-person classes seemed like an appealing idea at first, considering most were unaware of how the pandemic was going to pan out when it started.
He found this not to be the case; “I didn’t talk to any of my friends because we couldn’t really make plans. I did way worse in my classes than I had before too because I couldn’t motivate myself at all. I like Instagram but talking to someone on it feels weird. It’s really hard to get any kind o fconversation off the ground. After a couple of days, I’d usually get bored and stop trying to kee pin touch with whoever I was talking to,” he said. “With me I have to have some type of physical outlet, i fwe’re not gonna go somewhere in person I’ll lose interest.”
Although many felt increasingly isolated on social media, some took it as an opportunity o connect with people they wouldn’t have met otherwise.
Sara Kaczmarczyk is a photographer and found it much easier to connect with others on Instagram than she had before.
“It was ometimes lonely but I made some friends I wouldn’t have met if things were different,” she said. “I’m planning on meeting them in person soon. I never realized how many people there were around me I’d never met even though we have the same hobby. It was a good experience.”
While social conditions were different for everyone depending on temperament andsituation, the unique situation created out of necessity over the last year has been a valuable experience for many. Though not everyone viewed it as positive, it can help people reflect on theway communication is currently viewed and how that might change in the future
