How Social Networks Can Do Good While We Are All Trapped Indoors?

by | Mar 26, 2020 | Personal Development, Relationships

Illustration of social networks with various icons connected by lines, including a bird, a thumbs-up, a cloud, a heart, a smartphone, a laptop, a video, and several people. The background is dark blue, and each icon is enclosed in a circle with different colors.

The crises surrounding the novel coronavirus is just getting grimmer by the day. While the majority of the world is working from home after having been quarantined, the amount of time they have at hand to browse through social media platforms has increased exponentially. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are flooded with bits of news about COVID-19 and honestly, going through the same information over and over again can get tiring and take a toll on our mental health.

Although social distancing feels distressing, the good news is, this is the only recourse that is available with us to save ourselves from the terrifying virus. With schools and offices shutting down temporarily, the mass is, fortunately, staying indoors and attempting to steer clear from the uncontrolled spread of the virus. If reports are credible, the next few days will be extremely crucial in flattening the rising curve of COVID-19. More than anything else, the aim is to relieve the healthcare sectors and provide quality treatment to all the active cases.

Other than locking the global population indoors, the coronavirus is likely to lead us towards a social recession that will distort social contact for those who are mentally vulnerable and suffer from extreme loneliness and isolation and adults with specific disabilities and severe health conditions. Nevertheless, young people have a way open to socializing, and that is through social media, and older people can make use of this opportunity to learn from the example.

Well, social media can induce anxiety only if you want it to; exploring them relentlessly throughout the entire day is bound to make your mind go haywire and cause restlessness. But, in times like these, when the only way of connecting with people is through virtual platforms, discussing issues like the COVID-19 and other important ones on Twitter can be life-saving. Yes, the unfiltered spread of baseless news is not something that we have any control over, but, mostly, it serves as an imperative channel of exhibiting high-quality journalism and bits of information from health workers to keep the rest of us aware and informed.

The same is with Facebook, but the only fact that distinguishes it from Twitter is that it accommodates a lot of opinions and commentary about this situation called working from home. There are incalculable pictures and misleading memes on Facebook, thereby qualifying it as the fallout. Nonetheless, it’s not the same for everyone; people who are drawn towards detailed information would prefer getting the news from Facebook instead of Twitter and Instagram, while others who prefer the compact versions of the same choose the opposite trail.

When the entire globe is obsessing over the coronavirus, people will have to go somewhere in search of respite. One such place is inexorably social media. Although there’s a lot that can still be done through these podiums, we believe that in tough phases like these, they are turning out to be the only vents that are letting in some fresh air.