Quarantine and Distance

by Chiara Lai

How many times have we heard complaints about the fact that technology is leading our social relationships? About how human interaction is losing its “realness” and that social networks and platforms are to blame? Here is a reflection from Italy about quarantine and distance.

I can already imagine the History e-books of future generations: 2020, the year of the pandemic. 2020, when, after decades of constantly moving, we had to stop. 2020, when something changed. Yes, I do think something will change after this historical period. What is being imposed on us right now is something we are definitely not used to, and it will probably influence the way we perceive loneliness, friendship, family and work. It is the first time we face a sanitary emergency with a smartphone in our hands. What does that change? First of all, the media plays an important role in the spread of information. In a couple of minutes, a single article can reach so many people and create either hope, anger or fear, and the click market often favours the latter. In the case of Covid-19, we are even able to watch a live stream of the number of cases per country. News flow from a social network to another non-stop. The internationality of the English language also plays a role in this, massively boosting news reach. But what it influences more is our way to stay in contact. How many times have we heard complaints about the fact that technology is leading our social relationships? About how human interaction is losing its “realness” and that social networks and platforms are to blame? This isolation forces us to stay connected in only one manner: digitally. People are taking video calls as real dates, trying to react to the current situation and standardizing a new social routine. Moreover, even if some types of jobs do not allow this option, many do offer the opportunity to work from home through online meetings, shared documents and other tools. Even though in normal contexts this happens only in particular situations, now it is the only way to continue our working activities, and it functions smoothly for the most part. So, I found myself wondering: could the world keep going like that? Is a digital life, in which all social interactions and working assignments can easily find a substitute online, possible?

Source: https://www.leggo.it/italia/cronache/coronavirus_flash_mob_napoli_canti_balconi-5109418.html

I think the answer can be easily found for people that have to deal with the quarantine: No. The aspect that is perceived as the most unpleasant is this forced physical distance from our relatives, friends and our loved ones. In a world where it feels like we have the globe in our pocket, where communication always is expected to be immediate, we are facing the limits of this type of “connection”, reclaiming the importance of the real presence of the other. I think it is not something to be taken for granted, as many times the generations that came after the digital revolution have been depicted as individualist and self-centred. This emergency and the overall extraordinary situation are somehow raising up our sense of community. I for one was lucky enough to come back home to my family right before the critical point of the pandemic in Italy. At first, I felt like it was a disturbing coincidence, as I could not keep working, and then after a while, all of Europe started to suffer the consequences, and now I feel blessed. But I wonder how the quarantine can be when one is far from home and from the people one loves. I wonder how that loneliness can feel. For sure it also is an opportunity to spend more time far away from the usual frenzy of modern life, maybe using the opportunity to learn something new, or just to reflect on what we miss the most and what we will do with a new spirit of thankfulness when all of this is over. I think it’s peculiar that only in emergency situations one can realize the value of basic things. For sure in this tragic situation, where the quarantine is far from the worst of all this, we will be able to know a new side of ourselves and (why not?) use it in the future to be more conscious about our own limits. But, more than everything else, we will be aware of the fact that we all need each other.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=italia+balconi&sxsrf=ALeKk03cKeCdWKvfkx_RlSNXruVFmcO4vQ:1585305453518&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwigi6uDu7roAhUSM8AKHf3aC2EQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=VegtLzhpDN1NcM