The Effect of Social Media on Individuals during Quarantine
As the country went into quarantine, we all found it very hard to keep connected to one other. This was done through texts and calls, yet talking through a screen could never replace face-to-face communication for some. However, in such a dark time for many, the internet served as an escape. Through countless posts and online content on sites like TikTok and Instagram, as well as online communication apps like Skype, Discord, Google Hangouts, and Zoom, people were able to stay connected.
According to two students at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, when asked about how they were affected by Discord, a popular streaming site, during the quarantine, both had similar answers. As a way of getting through quarantine, both used the site to play games as well as communicate with their friends, serving as the main platform for communication due to its user-friendly structure. Additionally, because it is used primarily to communicate with friends, it has allowed for their friends to flourish and for their friend group to become much closer as a result. Though social media might not be the healthiest form of contamination in comparison to in-person interaction, it is not only easily accessible for many, but it also allowed for more convenient interaction during the pandemic. As one of the people interviewed stated, due to how you could simply call someone with little to no planning, using the internet to talk to friends made communication in quarantine much easier. This is especially true on Discord, since practically anyone on a server could join a voice call, allowing for easy socializing where anyone can interact with others during any time of the day. Furthermore, apps like Discord could also allow for other forms of interacting such as through the usage of the streaming function. Due to this, people are not only alerted to what close friends are doing, but they also have the chance to join in on the fun — fostering closer friendships. However, these ideas are not solely applied to Discord.
Though these two individuals did specifically discuss their experience surrounding Discord, other social media platforms such as Instagram could also be used for the same reasons. Though it might not be in the obvious form of voice calls, interaction is still occurring through DMs and sharing various posts between friends. In doing so, this could help fostering friendships and sharing posts, which could exemplify common interests such as humor, hobbies, and ideas or beliefs. While these are only some of the positives that were experienced during quarantine through use of the internet, at the same time many negative encounters were also fought.
One such example of this is the toxicity seen through social media platforms. While the internet definitely has many upsides as stated before, because of the anonymity people are provided at the same time, this could enable some individuals to act in more malicious ways. Though some individuals do receive punishments due to their actions — such as through blocking, reporting, or their profile being banned — at the same time, many individuals get away scot free or could instead find loopholes to stay on the app. Either way, because so many people were on social media platforms due to the lock down regulations, many people also most likely experienced some forms of negative encounters at some point. And while the benefits experienced by some are certainly not meant to invalidate the negative encounters of others, at the same time, it is important to acknowledge that social media platforms such as Discord and Instagram had an impact on our lives.
