29 COVID’s Effects on Communication

29.1 Introduction

On March 13th 2020, the world flipped upside down. Those who thought that coronavirus would never reach them were now facing its uncertainty. People questioned what was to come and could only prepare for the worst. Individuals rushed to the stores to buy all the necessities only to find that everyone else had already bought them and the shelves laid empty. There was a mix of fear and panic that turned the day into a frenzy. And this was just the beginning.

People had to rapidly come up with new ways to do things that were once rudimentary. There was no way to tell what lay ahead, and no person to guide. This led people to turn to the only thing that allowed them to communicate with the outside world from within their homes, technology.  As a result of Covid’s drastic impact on social interactions due to quarantine, people turned to social media, video communication, and online resources to combat communication barriers and loneliness from isolation and social distancing measures.

29.2 Overview of COVID-19

Coronavirus’ swiftness and deadliness prompted many different measures to be taken in order to stop its spread, including quarantines, masks, and social distancing. Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is an infectious disease that spreads as a virus and often affects the respiratory system, producing shortness of breath, cough, and congestion among many other symptoms. It often arrives unannounced, and can take 2-14 days to show symptoms, if there are any at all. It has resulted in death for many people, and long hospitalizations for others.

It began as an outbreak in a pneumonia-like virus, originating in Wuhan China in late 2019. In just a few short months, it had traveled to nearly all major countries, calling for immediate action to be taken to stop its spread. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) named COVID-19 a pandemic, and two days later, President Trump declared a Nationwide Emergency. Within the next week states began enacting closures of schools, restaurants, and entertainment industries, leaving only the bare essentials left. Individuals were being instructed to stay at home at all times with the exception of essential workers and necessary shopping trips. Essential workers include those in jobs that sustain human life and are needed for basic needs. These include food production, first responders, health services and food and agriculture.

Studies had begun showing that because the virus spreads through air particles, face coverings and social distancing could be used to stop the spread. Face coverings, commonly known as masks, are used to combat the spread of viruses and infections. In respect to coronavirus, masks help stop the transmission of the virus from person to person. They benefit in two ways: they serve as a barrier that stops respiratory droplets from reaching others, and they lessen the chance of breathing the virus in. Social distancing, or physical distancing, suggests that people stay at least 6 feet away from one another in congregate settings. This separation lessens the chance that virus particles will be transmitted from person to person in social settings. When implemented, it often included physical signs showing people where to stand, plastic barriers between customers and cashiers, and sometimes arrows directing people in a certain direction, along with urging people to remain at home. With these measures, officials hoped the rapid spread of the virus would slow and mass infection could be stopped.

“Covid coronavirus mask homeworking covidwork” by Max Pixel is in the Public Domain, CC0

29.3 Changes to Communication

As coronavirus began gripping the nation and quarantine ensued, technology aided in this new way of communication through a digital screen. The shutdowns were forecasted to only last three weeks; however, those three weeks soon turned into 3+ months. With everyone being forced to stay at home, people had to rapidly come up with new ways to go about life in this new “normal.”

“Freelance woman working from home” by pxhere is in the Public Domain, CC0

During this time, kids and teens spent more time on their phones, using social media to stay connected with their friends. TikTok gained more popularity and people grew more accustomed to spending all day staring at their phone. Tik Tok is a social media site that allows users to see and make videos. The “for you page” recommends random people’s videos based on an algorithm from past user interactions. Its popularity surged during quarantine as more people participated in trends and connected with other people stuck in their homes. Because videos are often between 15-30 seconds, it tailors to people’s impatience and short attention span, keeping people hooked for hours. Adults turned to video communication like FaceTime and Zoom to talk to friends and hold group meetings. Zoom is a video platform that allows up to 100 people to be on video at the same time. People would host “Zoom parties” and “Zoom happy hours” to partake in normal activities and celebrations with people in an attempt to go on with life as normal. After Zoom started gaining popularity, schools and businesses took to using it for class and workplace meetings, allowing them to interact in the same way as in classrooms and offices. School became solely online based, with students using sites such as google classroom and canvas to access assignments and tuning into zoom meetings for class.

“Zoom tops weekly download charts” by Prioridata is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

Soon, everything people needed was located on their computer, allowing them to go to work and school from the comfort of their bed. At first, everyone was eager to stay in their pajamas all day and experience connecting with their friends through zoom parties. But once the novelty wore off, people began wondering when they could get back to the way it was before.

1.4  COVID-19’s Impacts on Communication

For the vast majority of people, quarantine simply meant finding new ways to connect and communicate, but for others, it introduced a new world of loneliness as they struggled to find their place in the new techno central world. Social distancing has been found to be negatively associated with social connection and leads to an increase in depression and stress. However, a study found that because of human’s fundamental need to belong, people will find ways to connect with one another. (Folk, 2020) Technology soon became the means for people to connect with others in both the workplace and their social groups. Smartphones served as a suitable alternative to face to face interactions as it provided several different outlets for interaction. For many, this included zoom parties or “happy hours” where friends all participated in an activity at the same time over zoom. Many countries set a time where people opened their windows and cheered for first responders, boosting support and camaraderie. Those who had social connections prior to quarantine reported feeling relatively the same level of connectedness as before. Although phones and social media were able to bring much of the same qualities normal interactions do, nonverbal communication including body language and facial expressions could not be replicated. There was also a loss of Collective effervescence as sporting events and concerts were cancelled.

Although many saw little change in their relationships, loneliness still impacted a great number of people. Many teens and college students became depressed and frustrated with not being able to see their friends and having to learn school through a computer screen. College students were faced with having their independence stripped away, and their new way of life reverted back to that of their childhood. Dynamics of houses changed as teens had to adapt to spending more time with their parents and at home. College students struggled with mental health as they felt loss and resentment at their new situation.

Face coverings have also been found to impact communication as people struggled to talk and felt emotionally disconnected from the other person. People felt less willing to engage in conversation because of the feeling of distantness from one another. When people lack a feeling of connection to a speaker, it makes it harder to stay engaged and attentive. Additionally, masks brought general speaking difficulties as words got mumbled and understanding was lost, leaving both parties confused and frustrated.

In order to deal with loneliness, people must take a step back and appreciate the benefits of living in solitude. Some people will struggle more than others with feelings of isolation and ability to cope depending on their personality and prior mental health condition. Within the world of technology, many have lost the ability to be content with themselves, but quarantine re-emphasizes the need to be able to be at peace with oneself. Too much social media consumption can lead to information overload resulting in stress. Taking time for oneself is important in improving mental health and quality of life.

29.5 future outlook

Although quarantine and social distancing are no longer a part of the covid plan, changes that were made during them continue to remain and will likely continue into the future. Quarantine forced many businesses to rapidly incorporate new technology into the work environment, and as they did so they found it benefited the company more to keep these implementations. The rate at which businesses have become more digital is now years ahead where people previously thought it would be. Quarantine forced businesses to implement features that had previously not been a top priority like digital interface options for users.

In order to examine the future, it is important to mention what defines normal. Normalcy is something that is constantly changing as social and culture aspects evolve. It can change in the blink of an eye as witnessed with Covid, or it can be gradual. However, nothing is truly “normal” because it is a social construct, not a specific set of rules. As such, life will likely never return to “normal” as a technology centered society is likely the new normal. Distance learning and working from home will continue to stay prevalent for years to come as more people adapt to it. 32% of people with the ability to work from home would like to do so full time even after the pandemic is over, demonstrating the community’s interest in continuing with new norms. Although people can revert back to old methods of communication, quarantine still maintains a permanent impact on relationships. Although many still reached out to friends during quarantine, for most, it still feels as though there is lost time. After spending such a long amount of time in isolation with little small talk or conversation with strangers, many people experienced anxiety and awkwardness when once again having these exchanges. People felt hesitant when in public and avoided confrontation. Although many have since readapted to conversing with strangers, many people developed anxiety and depression during this time that still remains with them today.

Chapter summary

Coronavirus is a deadly virus that has brought about heartbreak and tragedy for many and impacted even more through restrictions and infection. It swept across the nation in a whirlwind of closures and lockdowns, bringing fear and panic as people struggled to adjust to this new lifestyle. Social distancing helped combat the spread of the virus by keeping those infected from giving it to others. In a time when everyone’s lives were ripped out from under them, technology was able to connect people with friends and family and keep businesses running. Work and school were done from the comfort of people’s beds, and zoom was used for both education and group gatherings. People found refuge in the vast stretches of the technological utopia.

Although people were able to communicate with each other, they were not safe from the harmful effects of no face-to-face interactions. Covid’s far reaching impacts took a toll on everyone’s mental health whether it be the major concerns like depression to simply not being able to smile at that stranger on the street. The enjoyment around logging into a zoom happy hour soon turned into restlessness as people waited for restrictions to be lifted. Technology and the workplace will now forever be changed by the increased ability to work from home and new digital interface.

References

Banerjee, D. & Rai, M. (2020, April 29). Social Isolation in Covid-19: The impact of loneliness SAGE Journals, 66(6), 525-527. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0020764020922269 

David, M. E., & Roberts, J. A. (2021, January 25). Smartphone use during the COVID-19 pandemic: Social vs. physical distancing. Pubmed.Gov.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33503907/

Folk, D. (2020, January 1). Did social connection decline during the first wave of COVID-19?: The role of extraversion. University of California Press.  https://online.ucpress.edu/collabra/article/6/1/37/114469/Did-Social-Connection-Decline-During-the-First

Goerdt, C. (2020, May 13). Normalcy is social construct: Education and human connection during coronavirus. American Psychological Association.  https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-72623-002

Goldberg, E. (2021, October 5). Teens in covid isolation: “I felt like I was suffocating.” The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/health/covid-teenagers-mental-health.html

Gollust, S. E. (2020, December 1). The emergence of COVID-19 in the US: A public health and political communication crisis. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 45(6), 967-981. https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article/45/6/967/165291/The-Emergence-of-COVID-19-in-the-US-A-Public

Guidance for Wearing Masks (2020, February 11). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

Laberge, L., O’Toole, C., Schneider, J., & Smaje, K. (2020, October 5). How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever.  McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-covid-19-has-pushed-companies-over-the-technology-tipping-point-and-transformed-business-forever

McNicholas, C. & Poydock, M. (May 19, 2020) Who are essential workers?: A comprehensive look at their wages, demographics, and unionization rates. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/blog/who-are-essential-workers-a-comprehensive-look-at-their-wages-demographics-and-unionization-rates/

Miller, G. (2020, March 16). Social distancing prevents infections, but it can have unintended consequences. Science.Org. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://www.science.org/content/article/we-are-social-species-how-will-social-distancing-affect-us#:~:text=A%202015%20meta%2Danalysis%20of,the%20negative%20effects%20of%20stress

Pearce, K. (2020, March 13). What is social distancing and how can it slow the spread of COVID-19? The Hub.  https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/03/13/what-is-social-distancing/

Sanders, G. H., Jackson, I. R., & Visram, A. S. (2020, November 27). Impact of face coverings on communication: An indirect impact of COVID-19. Pubmed.Gov. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33246380/#:%7E:text=Face%20coverings%20impacted%20communication%20content,else%20who%20is%20wearing%20one.