by Natalie “Lee” Arneson
“It feels like Kraigslist’s Missed Connections.” – Anahí Garcia
During these virtual times, it’s become increasingly harder to stay connected with the people that were once a daily part of our lives. Despite just about everything moving to an online platform (jobs, school, appointments, etc.), it’s hard to substitute in-person interactions with your friends. Since the start of the U.S.’s quarantine/social distancing back in March, many people have expressed how isolated and alone they feel during this time. Social media platforms, such as Instagram, have been flooded with posts detailing tips & tricks to staying connected during COVID-19 as well as encouragement that you’re not alone in your struggle. While it’s up for debate whether or not these posts have had any deep impact, it is evident that people are having to work harder than before to stay connected to those around them. On October 19th, I interviewed fellow Greener Val Christensen on how keeping in contact during COVID-19 has gone for her.
“I’d say I’ve been mostly keeping in contact through texting, [but] texting leaves out a lot of important face-to-face emotion that you get in a real conversation, and I’m usually not big on phone calls so I feel like I’ve lost some connections just from lack of communication. It seems like my whole social dynamic is completely different now and I struggle to socialize with new people.”
What Val shared is undoubtedly relatable for many, but she also discussed ways in which she has felt closer to her friends, despite the isolation of mainly communicating through screens.
“Talking about this with close friends is the best way I’ve found to really connect again. Since we all feel really alone in our isolation right now, I find that bonding through similar anxieties is slightly more beneficial than usual.”
On October 22nd, I also interviewed Maleah Upah, another Evergreen student, to get her perspective on what it’s like to communicate during COVID-19.
“I mainly rely on text messages or reaching out on Instagram. I’m not a very good texter, it’s just hard for me to respond right away all the time. I feel like that has definitely been an issue in communicating with my friends because it’s not always easy to get a hold of me. I just much prefer seeing people face to face.”
While Maleah shared her struggles during these ever changing times, she also talked about how these past months have lent to personal growth.
“I’ve definitely felt a little more emotionally isolated because it’s harder to reach out to someone and let them know how you’re feeling versus someone that sees you everyday and can just kind of pick up on your mood and check in with you. It’s definitely teaching me a lot about communication… [At] the start of the pandemic I really struggled with talking to my friends everyday. I think going through such a hard time right now has brought me closer to my friends, having a mutual struggle and dealing with the pandemic is now kind of easy to relate to.”
Both Val and Maleah highlighted the contradictory experiences that can happen while being so isolated from friends and loved ones; the struggle in communicating as you once did, while at the same time becoming closer in your shared experience of going through this pandemic and all the emotional and physical barriers it has brought.
It has indeed been a struggle to keep in contact with friends during COVID-19, but the pandemic has also made it feel near-impossible to make any new connections. Evergreen student Anahí Garcia, who is currently living on campus, shed some light on the creative ways in which people are still trying to ‘meet’ new people while social-distancing. While she and I were talking, Anahí described how students in the apartments have started putting signs in their windows listing their social media information. She jokingly described the signs, made out of predominantly printer paper and markers, as “the bare minimum of people wanting to advertise themselves.” Anahí further went on to describe that she loved seeing the signs in the windows and had added some people on Snapchat or Instagram through these “advertisements.” She continued to explain what connecting with people on campus was like in the midst of this pandemic saying, “I think most people are making connections in the laundry room in the HCC. It feels like Craigslist’s Missed Connections.”
While staying connected to our friends and our community has become increasingly difficult, it has also brought out the creativity in people and demonstrated how important shared experiences can be.
