Connections During Covid: How Have We Changed?
Our world population today is currently in the midst of something that we have not seen in generations. We are navigating the world who has been drastically impacted by a pandemic that has not been experienced in about one hundred years. Within that century, everyone’s daily life has changed. We now have to factor in new technologies and sciences that were not factors previously. Now, the question is, are these new technologies helping us or hindering us during these unprecedented times? There are many factors that contribute to this, and everyone has had their own unique experiences.
With the world shut down, everyone had to resort to doing their daily tasks in a new way, whether it was work, school, clubs, gatherings, entertainment, and even shopping. People suddenly found themselves stuck in their homes, navigating this new way of life. Of course, this came with some challenges. Many offices and corporations forced their employees to start working from home in order to decrease the spread. In many cases, this is still happening one year later. Many people tackled this in several different ways. Some people found themselves working too much, with everything they needed at their fingertips in their home, no commute time, and no clear end to the work day, people were working themselves to exhaustion. Others feel that working from home gave them more free time. They are able to spend more time with family and less in the car driving to and from work, exercise or do chores during their own self-timed lunch break, and make meals for themselves throughout the day. Another example of this comes with students having to do online school. Some students are working long hours of the day, attending all of their classes and getting all of their weeks homework done even past school hours. Other students are getting distracted and less motivated while being at home. With no in person teachers to keep them on track, video games and devices at their fingertips, and zoom-fatigue setting in quickly, the last thing that many students want to do is sit and complete their work. Of course, all of these new environments come hand-in-hand with the added stressors of yourself/family members getting ill, and the constant looming fear of that possibility. This has truly been a time of different stories and perspectives, and it has stressed out nations all over the world.
Looking back at this past year, there has been a whirlwind of emotions, both for myself and the people around me. If this experience has taught me anything, I believe that it would be balance is key. The choices that you make about your workload and stress relieving experiences throughout your day is imperative to keep your mental state healthy during difficult times like this. According to our reading “Technology as a Coping Tool During the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic: Implications and Recommendations” by Dana Rose Garfin, it states “Society’s reliance on technology is increasing during the COVID19 pandemic, with social and occupational changes that may persist long after the current crisis abates. Therefore, it is imperative to make mindful and intentional choices about how to leverage technology to improve our lives, reduce stress and improve mental health.” There are many ways this may look, such as working on a project all morning, but going for a walk in the afternoon for an hour to clear your mind, only to get back to work with less stress on your shoulders. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to make balanced decisions between when you are working and doing school, along with doing things you enjoy, such as going on social media for a laugh, gardening, working out using an app, or going for a long walk or hike.
This is something that I most definitely had to navigate for myself during the first few months of the pandemic. When it first started, I found myself with a huge lack of motivation. I did not want to do my school work, and I often just laid in bed and went on social media apps like instagram, twitter, and tik tok. My parents brought my habits to my attention, and I knew it was time for a change. I got back into my school work, but I made sure that I did not overload myself with it. I made sure that I made time for myself, using workout apps regularly to get myself moving, social media to talk to family and friends, as well as going for long walks with my family once it got warm out. I felt my mental health start to get better as I did this, and it exposed me to more ways that technology can be used positively during this time, along with putting it away for a while according to my needs. Balance of technology is something that is definitely easier said than done, as I know a lot of people have been experiencing worsening states of mental health during this time. I do believe that technology is a large factor in this, but I also think in many ways, it has helped a lot of people as well. If it was not for social media and other tech tools, we would not be able to continue to connect with family during these times, watch our favorite shows together, or keep our school and work life going. This is where my term “balance” comes into play once more, as you need to continue to use technology for the positive things on top of all the negative things during this time.
