When Technology Keeps Us Connected

Since this virus outbreak many of us don’t know how to actually keep busy or we have just found out that we don’t have any real hobbies, other than maybe sleeping and eating. This is something we didn’t really expect, but it is what it is and we are here now, thriving and trying to survive it!

At the beginning of this quarantine, let’s be real, we all sort of liked it. Staying at home and sleeping in, not going to class, but reality hit when we REALLY had to stay home and not socialize like we normally would. Now here we are in day 52882 of quarantine and we figured out how to makes days better and still keep in contact with the outside world.

Stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, with movie theaters closed and no restaurants to dine in, Americans have been spending more of their lives online. But a New York Times analysis of internet usage in the United States from SimilarWeb and Apptopia, two online data providers, reveals that our behaviors shifted, as the virus spread and pushed us to our devices for work, play and connecting.

Technology is really kicking in and allowing us to keep sane by communicating with our friends and family members. FaceTime and Zoom have become so normal in our life. We speak to family members this way, friends, and even school/work.

With all gatherings not being permitted and social distancing becoming very serious, Americans are looking out for entertainment on streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, and looking to connect with one another on social media outlets like Facebook.

In the past few years, users of these services were increasingly moving to their smartphones, creating an industry-wide focus on mobile devices. Now that we are spending our days at home, with computers close at hand, society appears to be remembering how unpleasant it can be to squint at those little phone screens.

From March onward, we could now be looking at screens for the whole summer, maybe even longer, if the virus doesn’t decrease. But at times, we can still get bored of seeing the same faces all the time. That’s why it’s been great to visit with family members you don’t usually see, get a game night going virtually, even painting together or cleaning the closet at the same time, all over FaceTime! Or you can simply ask them how they are doing and check up on them, see how they are doing mentally and try to lift people’s spirits up!

“It’s not so bad,” said 22-year-old Kiara Gomez. “Yes, I would love to be out with my friends on the weekends, but we still do that. We all agree on a time and we all do that on FaceTime. We still talk, see each other’s faces, and their facial expressions. It just sucks because I feel like I took for granted the last time I saw them.”

This is also an excellent time to teach the older generations about this new tech stuff, especially grandparents, who really can’t go outside. Teach theming how to answer or use video platforms can help them smile through a screen because we don’t know when we will be able to see them in person again. It’s times like these where we really can’t look at it and say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” In a pandemic, there’s not time like the present.

Jesus Ramirez, 78 years old, says that his grandkids bought him a phone so they he could call them to see how he is doing and if he needs anything. He said he finally learned how to text so every day he sends messages to all 21 of his grandkids to make sure they are doing okay in these tough times.

For some of us who can’t live without doing anything without our friends, when even FaceTime isn’t enough, Netflix is offering Netflix party, which is basically you and your friends together having a virtual movie night. Everybody is tuned in watching the movie in the comfort of their own homes and the best part is that there is no unnecessary commentary!

While traditional social media sites have been growing, it seems that we want to do more than just connect through messaging and text, we want to see one another. This has given a big boost to apps that used to remain unimportant, like Google’s video chatting application, Duo, and Houseparty, which allow groups of friends to join a single video chat and play games together.

We have also grown much more interested in our immediate environment, and how it is changing and responding to the virus and the quarantine measures. This has led to a renewed interest in Nextdoor, the social media site focused on connecting local neighborhoods.

When even hanging with our friends gets boring or we just want to talk to new people, online dating is another answer. Bumble, Tinder, and other dating apps are perfect for this time because you can cam talk to new people and figure out what you like to want. Then maybe after this lockdown ends, a real life relationship could begin. It at least gives people a chance to actually get to know each other, not just by looks but by getting into deep conversations, like if pineapple belongs on pizza and such.

In these past months, we did not expect to be in lockdown and we really were not ready for this pandemic to rock our worlds but, as a community, we can do our parts by staying home and using technology to keep us connected, even when we’re apart.