The influx of the global pandemic COVID-19 was not the way that most university students anticipated ending their winter semester at Mount Saint Vincent University. As university students, we generally live a fast-paced and highly social life, balancing courses, jobs, extracurriculars, family time and catching up with friends. Now, we have to focus not only on keeping ourselves and our families safe from this new virus, but also learning to cope with a significant lifestyle change of social distancing. To cope with this new practice, many are turning to their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even TikTok feeds.
Although social media is a channel that often gets criticized, it is without question an important means of keeping in touch throughout this period of social distancing. In my Introduction to Social Media course, my professor, Leslie Obol, encouraged the class to share ways that we are coping with COVID-19 through social media. More importantly, Professor Obol poses the question of how might social media help us cope together?
For the final project of the academic year, Professor Obol has instructed the class to share how we are finding innovative ways to cope with this global pandemic through social media channels. My classmates have started to share their favourite podcasts, live cooking lessons and Instagram-worthy pet photos, all followed by the hashtag #CopingWithCovid19. Local fitness centres are live-streaming yoga classes, video game fans are connecting to meet up in the digital world and FaceTime wine nights are happening on a regular basis.
In the community, heath care workers are reaching out through social media to advocate for essential supplies, aged-care homes are being delivered iPads to connect elderly folks with their loved ones and government organizations are using social media to get the message out – stay home and stay safe.
It is without question that this is a difficult and uncertain time. Universities, like the rest of the world, are finding ways to tackle this global pandemic. An example of this is Professor Obol’s project to connect us through ways we are #CopingWithCovid19.
I hope when this is over that we remember the hard work of our essential workers and a time when we used social media to not only cope, but to truly connect. In the meantime, stay home, connect with loved ones through social media, thank our essential workers and work together to flatten the COVID-19 curve. We are all #CopingWithCOVID19 together.
Megan Savary, BPR Student
