For an ambivert such as myself, maintaining meaningful connections during a pandemic has been challenging. In a few short weeks, my life has gone from full social calendars to Zoom meetings and safe walks in the woods with Brian. As much as a late Generation-X person such as myself enjoys the perks of technology, this pandemic is showing me how lacking " social media" is compared to face-to-face interactions.
Of course I am grateful for the technology: pandemic life would be much worse for everyone without the Internet. Yet at the same time I feel that interaction via screen time falls woefully short of my need to look people in the eyes { even from six feet away} Zoom and Facebook Live are great, but fall short in a way that can only be described as sensory-shortness. Computer-assisted socialization only uses two of the five senses that humans use to experience our world.
I realize that technology is al we have to connect right now-- and I understand that this physical isolation is necessary. But I am not going to pretend that screen time will ever take the place of in-person gatherings. After the bans on gatherings are lifted, I'll be prudent in maintaining the proper distance for safety but I will rejoice when it is safe and legal to congregate in groups with people I love.
As for huge public gatherings, I am okay with cancelations of events that bring large groups of people together in one enclosed space. After all, the part of my personality that is introverted isn't much of a fan of huge gatherings of strangers. As much as I would love to attend a football game of my NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP University of West Florida Argonauts, I understand and agree if the season is cancelled to keep people safe.
I just miss people I love. Technology is great, but it isn't the same.
Living life tied to a screen sucks.
~Sarah
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