Keeping up relationships during the distance created due to COVID 19
Keep your distance! Stay six feet away from each other! For some, this is easy. For some, it’s much more than just six feet away.
The coronavirus has come with many restrictions and struggles. Stores have closed or are only allowed ten people inside at once, everyone must wear a mask, and toilet paper is basically out of stock. Plus, there is a six feet distance rule to attempt to prevent the spread of “Rona.” This six feet rule is probably the easiest for some to follow due to them already being so far away from others.
Schools and colleges have closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, forcing students home to their families and away from their friends. Now there is a “corona wall,” blocking all of us from each other.
With the distance created by the virus comes the lack of human contact and the downfall of communication amongst friends. Boredom sets in with Netflix, and the school starts to sound fun at some point. I am from Virginia, and all my friends from the University of Wyoming are in Colorado, Wyoming, or neighboring states. That distance is much more than just six feet. Communication has become very difficult with my friends due to time differences and our varying schedules.
It’s challenging to keep up with friends once you aren’t allowed to see them or hang out with them. Eventually, Snapchatting gets old, and you lose contact with those who you used to see quite often before the coronavirus canceled everything.
“I usually keep connected with friends by seeing them every other day in class or at work or on campus,” stated Bailey Vogler, senior at the University of Wyoming. “I have only been able to keep a consistent connection with about three friends because of our closeness.”
The coronavirus has taken so much from us. We cannot have dances or sporting events; we cannot go out to dinner but only have takeout, and we cannot hang out with more than nine of our friends at a time each six feet away from each other. The only thing the coronavirus has given us is a geometry lesson on where everybody has to stand to keep up with the six feet rule during a party. What kind of a party even is that after regulations are being followed?
“For most of my relationships it has somewhat taken a toll on them because I haven’t gotten to see my friends as much as I would like,” stated Bri Specht, a sophomore at the University of Wyoming, “but other friends I have gotten to see a lot more because I don’t have anything else going on so I can spend time with them. I have noticed I haven’t been talking to my friends as much as I would like to because sometimes snapchatting gets old, and I’d much rather talk in person. I do value quality time with people more than I thought I did before.”
Honestly, the colleges should’ve kept our campuses open and just done zoom classes from our regular classrooms without the teachers present. This way, we could’ve kept our friends and relationships close and motivated each other to do our schoolwork. Plus, it has been said that the coronavirus is not as threatening to those in their twenties. For those with circumstances that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus, they can still watch the zoom class and do their work from home as we all have been forced to do that currently anyways.
However, since that is not the case, let’s find ways to keep our friends close and relationships stable with our distances away from each other.
“My relationships have remained close by using new apps like Houseparty, Netflixparty, Snapchat, and messenger to play games and keep each other informed about our lives in quarantine,” stated Vogler.
There are many other ways as well to keep connected other than Snapchat, texting, or phone calls. For example, Specht has started writing letters with her friends out of state. She states that it is exciting to receive a letter from a friend, and it’s a great way to stay connected because it is something that can be done at any time of the day, making it much easier with everybody’s varying schedules.
It’s also important to understand what you need and what your friends or significant other needs to feel still close and involved. Some need a contact at least once a day; some need it once a week; some need it rarely. Others may want to see your face or do an activity together every now and then. FaceTime or Skype are great ways to “be” with each other and still go about your homework, crafts, or baking to get that friend to fill during the coronavirus.
Six feet prevents a lot, and I’m sure a lot of people, myself included, are tired of that rule and this coronavirus as a whole. However, it’s something to keep us and others safe. Through this, our relationships might have a bumpy start, but hopefully, we all will get a little creative with keeping in touch and, in the end, become much closer than before.
