Five Ways to Socialize in Self-Isolation
Posted: April 28, 2020 | Author: Lyndsey Nelson | Read Time: 3 minutes
As schools increasingly move to online instruction for the duration of summer semester and people are asked to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19, many individuals have found it difficult to stay afloat. The sudden switch brought new anxieties and the request to avoid socializing has left many feeling lonely. In this time of uncertainty and fear, many students have been searching for ways to be together without gathering. Southern Utah University has cultivated a list of five ways to stay up to date with friends and keep your social life as rich as it was before the pandemic closed doors.
Online Parties and Game Nights
Despite the order to stay in small groups, it is still possible to get a large group of people together online. The same software being utilized by educators and employers can be used by individuals to host online parties and game nights. Applications like Zoom and Google Hangouts are a great way to talk to the people you would normally be with in person, and online gaming software like Jackbox Games allows for large groups to play a game together through a website, giving people the opportunity to communicate and celebrate from remote locations.
Visit this list from The Guardian for a list of online games.
Netflix Party
A new Chrome extension from Netflix has provided a way to put on movie nights remotely. Released in March of this year, Netflix Party allows for groups to watch any show or movie from Netflix’s catalog at the same time, synchronizing the playback for all members of the party. The extension also features a chat room so the party can catch up and share their thoughts. It is both free to use and download, though all users do need an active Netflix account to join a party.
To use Netflix Party, start by setting up the extension with Google Chrome.
Virtual Dates
Zoom and Google Hangouts are also an incredible way to plan an online date night. While meeting up with someone at a restaurant, bar, or movie theatre for a date has become impossible, the same in-person date environment can be recreated online, whether by making the same meal and eating together, watching a movie through Netflix Party, or even through playing a game together online, the joy of connecting with another person in a dating environment doesn’t have to be sacrificed.
To find ideas and tips for virtual dates, visit this blogpost from Refinery 29.
Livestream Shows and Concerts
Something that can help both with maintaining a social life and give some structure to your days is the numerous Livestream concerts and shows that artists are currently hosting through a variety of platforms. Not only does this help by giving you some interaction with fellow fans and artists you enjoy, but taking the time to get ready for a concert can help give your day some structure and give you something to look forward to.
For a list of music events taking place online during quarantine, visit Billboard’s list of online concerts.
COVID Creations
With the sudden closure of in-person education, many arts students and creative types have found it difficult to make and share their art. In response to this, SUU Theatre and Dance, alongside many arts institutions throughout the country, has been promoting COVID Creations. This hashtag encourages students to share the things they create while isolated. April is also National Poetry Month, and artists are encouraged to participate by writing poetry centered around prompts and then share these poems online with the writing community.
For more information about COVID Creations, visit TAD’s Instagram page.
Isolation can be discouraging. Not being able to see the people you love face to face or spend time with friends enjoying the shows, art, games, and experiences that you used to be able to enjoy freely can be incredibly difficult, but there are still ways to connect. While COVID-19 has changed the structure of our world, it doesn’t have to change the structure of our relationships.
Tags: Coronavirus
