Enlight 21

How Social Distancing Has Affected Me

Author: Ryan Yang | Category: Lifestyle | Date: 04-17-2020

If today was an ordinary day, I would have been at school, listening to lectures, playing cello in my orchestra class, and interacting with my friends throughout the school day. Then, I would have returned home where I would do my homework until midnight with short breaks in the middle. However, for everyone, today is not an ordinary day. Since the beginning of March, schools have shut down, churches have closed, and social distancing has been ordered. This is due to the coronavirus, which began in November as a small Wuhan virus but soon grew into a global pandemic. Now, the United States has the most people infected by this novel virus. As a result, life has been very different for Americans: workers, students, elderlies, and many more.

For me, this time of social distancing has not been as unusual as I thought it would be. I have been staying home all day, doing my homework and watching television. Also, with the more time I have, I have been able to go outside and enjoy the fresh air with my family. Each day, we would take a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the beautiful views of the bay. I would also sometimes bike to the nearby park and play soccer with my father. This time of self-isolation has allowed me to spend more time with my family. While I am using the most out of the more time I have, I do miss my friends. I think it has been almost two weeks since I have called any of them. I am still texting with a few; however, that is nothing compared to actually speaking to them face-to-face. I am observing how many of my friends are doing through social media like Instagram and Snapchat, and I can tell that many of them are suffering from loneliness. Many of them post about the Korean dramas they are watching, and some show themselves in bed at noon. Seeing their faces and what they are doing on screen, I also can not wait until the day where our normal lives come back and where we can meet up at any time and anywhere.

In addition, with schools adopting a pass/no pass grading system, I have been far less stressed than I was before the school closures. I am slightly worried about the transition to junior year, especially with the lack of preparation due to no classes; however, my current teachers are still doing a wonderful job of teaching us the necessary material, so I am still doing my best to understand and complete all the work I need to. My activities at church have also been very different. I am unable to serve, and all our services are now online. However, our youth pastor would hold online events throughout the week, and as I have attended some of these events, I have been able to interact with my brothers and sisters.

While I have been apart from my friends and the rest of society for more than a month, it has been endurable. Time is passing by rather quickly, and it is because of the time I spend doing work, watching tv, and growing closer to my family. Life may be very different, but I am still able to find many moments of happiness and thankfulness.