I started off the year watching “The Circle“, a reality TV game show/social experiment on Netflix. The premise was individuals were put in their own studio apartments and given a brand new social media platform designed just for the show. They could be completely themselves or choose to portray themselves to be someone else, while becoming friends with each other via the social media platform and voting people off. Now here I am, 2 and a half months later, participating in a completely unexpected and mandatory social experiment. I doubt anyone anticipated being in this situation, instructed to quarantine and social distance. Was “social distancing” even a term when we were ringing in 2020? It seems there are a wide range of social experiments taking place right now: What will the slowing down of productivity do to the natural environment? Will the run on grocery stores mellow out or will we truly experience a food and toilet paper shortage in the short or long term? Will people become kinder to each other and come together to lift each other up or will the doomsday predictions come to pass?
It will be interesting to see how this plays out, we are already seeing changes to the environment, a new appreciation for previously undervalued jobs, and a surge in efforts to conduct business remotely. I’ve also seen an outpouring of support for small businesses of all kinds, and many people are advertising their small business in ability to assist others through technology on social media and by adapting their services or products to meet the local community. As the days and weeks go by and we adapt to this way of living, how might this alter life permanently after social distancing is complete?
Personally, I believe in humanity, in the ability we all have to care for others and the community around us. Just as I have been enjoying the sharing of humorous musings and offerings of support to strangers on social media, I look forward to all the uplifting stories that will come out of this pandemic. We will not be quarantined forever, but we are currently, collectively experiencing a situation we have not been in before. We have no “last time” stories to reflect on, to propel us forward and yet we will rise to the occasion. This experience is teaching us about ourselves, our society and our environment in ways we never imagined. Talk about gaining a fresh perspective!
Gaining a Fresh Perspective 