Next Generation
Three’s a crowd:
A challenging blend of workspaces, social media, and personal identity during COVID-19
I
t is quiet. As a PhD student in cognitive psychology, my mornings consist of answering emails and starting work at a medium pace. As I answer work related messages on social media, the quiet continues. Until suddenly, another act of violent racism, murder, and tragedy is filmed, forwarded, and plastered onto my social feed. My reactions are sometimes public comments or expressions, but more often than not, they are taking place internally. As a painful storyline is reactivated, it is accompanied by physical sensations like increased heartbeat with a mixture of sadness, anger, and guilt; sometimes it is also impossible to label those feelings. Usually, avoiding the apathetic comment sections helps get rid of the physical reactions quicker. Once I regain my physical composure, I return to the social media networks, complete my work-related tasks, and then log off. As I return to my inbox, the quiet returns.
Fatou Sarr
PhD Candidate, Experimental Psychology, University of Ottawa
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This routine is familiar to many graduate students, as COVID-19 prompted swift university closures and the removal of physical gatherings in public spaces. Life saving measures were taken and people were told to remain indoors for months on end, and this process is starting once more. Consequently, universities began relying on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social platforms, to ensure that contact with students would not completely disintegrate. Alongside the increased reliance on social platforms was the unintended consequence of work interactions on social platforms. Previously, students could manage their exposure to verbal and visual violence against visible minorities (e.g.., Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)) by not opening these platforms. In fact, it is a well-known recommendation in the BIPOC community to conserve one’s mental health
