2020 is turning out to be the year of quarantine, of self-seclusion and nation-wide lock-downs.
On the plus side, there has never been a better time in history to be confined to home. “Social distancing” does not, in this age of Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, WeChat, Twitter, Fortnite, VKontakte, Facebook, and FaceTime, mean “social isolation”. Schools close physically, but classes move online. Never before has it been possible to confine yourself to home and play, argue, and commiserate with friends and strangers every waking hour. If you can get online, you may be home, but you are not alone.
Staying home is a privilege. Many cannot. Some have jobs that are essential to keep society functioning: doctors and nurses, the maintenance people scrubbing every surface, everyone involved in chain of tasks that keeps food on the grocery shelves, to name just a few. Others cannot afford to stay home from non-essential jobs that will not pay them without their presence.
Never before has it been possible to confine yourself to home and access such massive amounts of information. Some is garbage, but much is tremendously, life-savingly valuable. And, imagine this moment, but with no Internet, no flood of news; imagine, in the US, having to rely on only White House approved statements and President Trump’s medical intuitions. Fortunately, we have instead a flood of information — and people online with whom to argue about it, to point out the inconsistencies, to muster supporting evidence for one suggestion or another. It is not a perfect process, but together people are sorting through the anecdotes and advice, figuring out, together, how to navigate a rapidly changing and dangerous situation.
Staying home with the Internet is a privilege. According to Pew Research, 25% of rural Americans say high-speed internet access is difficult in their area. Many low-income adults have neither computer nor smartphone; those who rely on phone-only access to the internet may see limited versions of content, and are at a disadvantage for participating in written discussions. Some rely on libraries for access, normally a wonderful community benefit, but not when one cannot leave the house. And we are entering a serious recession: for many, paying for connectivity may become an unaffordable necessity.
The next few months are likely to see quarantines and lock-downs throughout the nation and the world. For many of us, the innumerable online social spaces will be a lifeline, a source of support, information, and entertainment; a way to check in on vulnerable friends and family, to keep a version of ordinary life going, a source of creative inspiration. What can we do to extend this lifeline to all? Drives to collect, wipe and redistribute older laptops and smartphones? Free wi-fi in public parks and other open spaces? Declare internet access a basic necessity, subsidized for anyone who cannot afford it?
In this strange uncertain spring, reach out and text someone.
