The coronavirus pandemic has forced people from around the world to incorporate many difficult changes into their daily lives. Many people are without a job after their workplace was forced to close, hospitals and medical facilities are doing everything they can to avoid being overwhelmed, and there is a general uncertainty about the state of everything, and when things will return to “normal”.
One of the most difficult to adjust to has been the encouragement and requests by state and national governments for people to practice social distancing whenever possible. This means that people should avoid gathering in large groups, and should only be going out to places where people frequently gather (ie. grocery stores) when absolutely necessary. Because of this, many people have had a hard time with not being able to spend time with their friends. This is especially true among students, who would typically see their friends multiple times a week during class and other on campus activities. Now that college campuses across the country are closed, it has become much harder for these students to interact with their friends. In this post, I will explain why it's important to maintain these friendships, and I’ll also offer some suggestions of ways to stay connected with friends and acquaintances during the coronavirus pandemic.
Meaningful connections and relationships with other people are an important part of mental health. The social support that friends or peer-groups can offer has proven psychological benefits. A study by R. Jay Turner showed that a person feeling that they have the support of friends and family makes them less likely to feel depressed or anxious (Turner, 1981). But this should go without saying, many people already know that having friends who support you can boost your mood and make you feel better about how things are going for you. Furthermore, social isolation has been shown to have the opposite psychological effect, with a lack of interaction leading to higher rates of depression and anxiety (Kellerman, Rigler, & Siegel, 1977). This doesn’t mean that introverted people have to change their entire lifestyle and become more extroverted, but it does show the importance of social connection between people when considering a healthy mental state.
So how can we encourage and maintain our social connections and friendships during a global pandemic such as coronavirus? As previously stated, social distancing measures are preventing people from interacting with their friends face to face in the ways they typically would. However, there are still other ways to interact with friends without meeting them face to face.
Video Calls/Facetime
This is the first and most obvious solution to the in person interaction that many people no longer have with their friends. Almost everyone has a smartphone or computer capable of video calling, so you don’t have to spend any extra money on anything to spend time together. A video call can be as simple as a quick hello, or you can expand it into something bigger. For example, one thing my friends and I have done is simulated going out to eat in a restaurant by all having dinner together at the same time in a group video call. Get creative!
Social Media and Texting
Another straightforward way to stay connected is through simple text messages, or through social media. Social media has many benefits at a time like this, such as keeping updated on news and giving people something to do to kill time. Text messages are a quick way to stay connected with friends and even classmates (group projects, note sharing, etc.). A simple text message to check in with your friends can go a long way. TikTok is an app which has exploded in popularity recently, and sending your favorites back and forth with a friend can be a great way to stay connected.
Watch a Film Together
Many people now have at least one streaming service which they use to watch TV and movies. Services such as NetflixParty (netflixparty.com) can be used to sync a movie or show through Netflix so that you and your friends can all watch a movie together at the same time. Combining this with texting and video calling is a great way to stay in touch and do something fun together.
Social distancing has certainly presented us with many challenges in our day to day lives. However, this doesn’t mean that we have to lose our friendships too! There are many different ways you can creatively find to stay in touch with your friends, classmates, and family members while we wait for everything to return to normal.
Sources:
Kellerman, J., Rigler, D., & Siegel, S. E. “The Psychological Effects of Isolation in Protected Environments.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 134, no. 5, 1977, pp. 563–565., doi:10.1176/ajp.134.5.563.
Turner, R. Jay. “Social Support as a Contingency in Psychological Well-Being.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior, vol. 22, no. 4, 1981, p. 357., doi:10.2307/2136677.