Just look at what’s happening in Italy, where homebound adults are posting mini-manifestos on Facebook, while restless kids flock to multiplayer online games like Fortnite. And while the ways we’re substituting for in-person interaction aren’t perfect - over the next few months in America, there may be no phrase uttered more than “Can someone mute?” - we are seeing an explosion of creativity as people try to use technology as a bridge across physical distances. Nobody is arguing that what is coming will be fun, easy or anything remotely approaching normal for a very long time.Īlready, social media seems to have improved, with more reliable information than might have been expected from a global pandemic. ![]() There will be more lives lost, businesses closed and communities thrown into financial hardship. There is no use sugarcoating the virus, which has already had devastating consequences for people all over the world, and may get much worse in the months ahead. On my feeds, trolls are few and far between, and misinformation is quickly being fact-checked. Strangers and subject-matter experts are sharing relevant and timely information about the virus on social media, and organizing ways to help struggling people and small businesses. My inboxes are full of invitations to digital events - Zoom art classes, Skype book clubs, Periscope jam sessions. I expected my first week of social distancing to feel, well, distant. I even put on my Oculus virtual reality headset, and spent a few hours playing poker in a V.R. Last weekend, in between trips to the grocery store, I checked up on some friends using Twitter D.M.s, traded home-cooking recipes on Instagram, and used WhatsApp to join a blockwide support group with my neighbors. Then came the FaceTime calls from friends and relatives who were also stuck indoors and trying to stave off loneliness. ![]() ![]() For someone who has barely left his house, I’ve had a shockingly busy few days.įirst, there were the hyperactive group texts, which started up last week with dozens of messages a day from friends about the latest coronavirus news, along with photos of our overstuffed pantries.
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