By Delaney Crawford//
A lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nation. Weddings, large parties and other gatherings were canceled or postponed. Dating changed. Even the way we greet each other is different. Many of the changes could be long-lasting.
While the world is opening up more and more now and events are beginning to happen again, we see that some people are still trying to keep their events small. The pandemic has brought a focus on fewer and more personal celebrations among loved ones instead of huge blowout events.
The challenge of seeing family and friends in a safe way during the pandemic has conditioned some people to keep things small, more intimate and safer, changing the way they socialize forever.
“COVID allowed us to reflect on what is meaningful in our lives and it is interaction with others; family, friends, and even social institutions,” professor of sociology Jolene Sanders said. “Interestingly, the need to consume was not as missed but the need to simply be out and about socializing in some way was sorely missed. If there were to be big changes that come from this it would maybe be less focus on things and stuff and more focus on people and experiences.”
There is also a difference in how people physically interact with each other. Hugs and handshakes are thrown around a lot less and it’s harder to meet new friends and make new relationships during this time.
“The definition of politeness has shifted to accommodate our new norms as well as how one interacts with others,” psychology student Jordan Bailey said. “Before, we could rely on the cues that facial expressions provided but now those are severely limited. People have to rely more heavily on verbal communication rather than expressions and gestures. Even something as simple as a greeting that would typically involve a handshake or a hug is no longer possible.”
Social media and dating apps have given students help with staying in touch and allowing some to meet potential partners during this time. There is a huge rise in the number of users on dating apps during the pandemic and these apps have quickly become the main way to find love.
Instead of going into work or school everyday and getting to know people there or picking up people at bars and restaurants, young adults are resorting to finding people over the internet or having close friends set them up. In some ways, this is causing new relationships to form even easier since there is less pressure when talking through a screen.
“In the beginning of all this, dating and trying to meet people was almost impossible if it was not done virtually, but we are in the age of technology, so I would say that played a big role in allowing people to find other ways of connecting and meeting new people,” sociology student Jessica Leaver said. “I think people definitely turned to social media when we reached times in the pandemic where we didn’t see much light at the end of the tunnel. Because a lot of the beginning and awkward parts about meeting new people can now be done from behind a screen or from the safety of their homes through facetime and video chat, I think it gives students the comfort they need to feel confident in still putting themselves out there.”
As humans, we are all social beings who need interactions with others. In order to keep social norms similar to what we know throughout lockdown and social distancing guidelines, people had to improvise. Drive by birthday parties became a thing, families group-facetimed and friends shared drinks over Zoom. This became the “new normal” and most people have adapted to it.
“Social isolation has no doubt been the most challenging part of the pandemic, particularly regarding young adults and the college student population. Students are finding that even if they once thought of themselves as introverts, they have found that they do indeed need social interaction among and with their peers,” Sanders said. “Face-to-face communication and social interaction have proven to be necessary for our mental health and wellbeing. Social media and other online interactions do not substitute for this.”
As more and more people continue to get vaccinated, our world is starting to open again. Even considering this, many people are going to keep around the things we adapted to while in quarantine. Things like Zoom meetings, smaller events and parties and meeting potential partners over the internet will all still be around and used frequently even when COVID-19 is behind us.
“Personally, for me, I became really reliant on technology to talk to my family and friends during quarantine and stuff and I’ve just become so used to interacting with people through that,” Leaver said. “Plus, it makes it easy to talk to people who may live far from me so I will definitely be continuing to use a lot of those technology hacks that came around during the pandemic.”
Awesome insight!