Opinion: Has COVID-19 changed us for better?

Have you been bumping into your siblings as you go downstairs to get breakfast? Or helping your mom cook, while she cleans the house? Going on a bike ride around the neighborhood more frequently with your dad? Ever found yourselves reaching out to your family for help to log onto a Zoom meeting?

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a global health crisis that has had a deep impact on the way we communicate with each other, given the need to practice social distancing.

With the use of social media and software networks increasing even more than before, we have been uniting with people all across the globe. From school and office work to physical exercises, the time we are spending on the Internet is unbelievable.

From online classes to family time at home, our means of communication have tremendously developed. According to Smart Insights, social media users have passed the “3.8 billion mark with this number increasing by more than 9% (321 million new users) since this time last year.”

This lurid outbreak has drastically changed our social lives for the better. Our sense of communication with each other has advanced a lot, whether that is amidst our families, friends or communities.

I have been communicating with everyone even more than I would have ever expected.

Whenever I host a Zoom conference for my Taekwondo classes or attend an online Microsoft Teams meeting for summer school, I always think, “How many times have I opened this app?” I have been interacting with my fellow Taekwondo black belts, three times a week and it has been a blast, every time we hold a meeting.

COVID-19 has changed our communicating skills for the better, as everyone has one common goal in mind: To survive this global health crisis and take it as easy as we can. Recently, my family has gained a deep interest in gardening, which is something that we all enjoy and look forward to each day.

As everyone continues to pursue hobbies and interests, we relate to each other in so many ways that improve our daily communication.

From yoga classes to dance groups, people are still connecting today and are maintaining their relationships with each other, in incredible ways.

Now, some of you may think that COVID-19 has affected communication for the worse, but there are more advantages. For example, my mom’s friend, Ramya, said she can express her ideas much better through online platforms, than in person. She also mentions that sometimes it is easier to just communicate through text and writing than through voice.

“As a team, we express what we believe will help our company easier, through the conferences we hold, rather than in person,” Ramya said.

Together, we continue to do everything we can to overcome COVID-19 and by doing so, we have been connecting with one another, even more than ever.