Social life for students on college campus’ during the COVID-19 pandemic has been completely redefined. The guidelines that have been put in place across the nation have caused a social disconnect between people. Communication between those that aren’t familiar with each other has been disengaging since many social distancing guidelines have been around.
“I’ve gotten more separated from people but I still haven’t adapted that well, I’m still getting into it,” Amir Elis, freshman business management major, said. Elis refers to adapting to the way things have been with the guidelines in place; he wants to adapt better.
Many people may still struggle to adjust to their new social life because it isn’t what it used to be.
Elis said, “It’s gotten a little tougher because you don’t want to be near people you don’t really know. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and everything is a little bit more difficult and inaccessible.”
It can be difficult to live in the world we live in right now if you don’t know anyone. Lots of people have become fairly uncomfortable out in public due to the new variants of the pandemic arriving and the rising spike in cases. It has been in the best interest of many to not communicate with unfamiliar people.
“They keep their distance, but they also try at times to communicate with one another from afar. It’s more digital, everything is more digital now,” Elis said.
The biggest change Elis has seen is the attempts people make to communicate with others from a distance and having to do so makes social life during the pandemic much harder.
“I’ve adapted pretty well. I’m on the soccer team here so I was able to be around my team, bond with them, learn from and grow from each other,” Na’im Roberts, sophomore exercise and health major, said.
Roberts said his way of communicating with others before the pandemic has changed. “I’ve had to reach out more socially through Instagram and phone number. I would have to talk to my coach online and even my friends. My roommates now, we’ve had to talk through group chats and texts.”
Connecting with others online continues to become more vital than ever in one’s social life.
He said not many things are continuing face-to-face but rather more so virtual. The social life of those that remain virtual during the pandemic can find it increasingly troubling to socialize since they’ve been isolating themselves from others.
Roberts’ social life in public during the pandemic has been affected.
He said, “I try to be respectful because we are in a pandemic and I try to keep my distance. Also, I know you’re not required to have a mask outside, but I personally feel like maybe you should have a mask on just to assure everyone stays healthy.”
People like Roberts have found it necessary to wear masks outdoors.
Mask-wearing outdoors has been an adaptation people have made as the pandemic has continued. It’s taken off even more as new variants of it have spread. Coping with the changes in social life, they’ve changed the way of communicating.
