Looking Through a Glass Window

As a predominance of the United States is quarantined most people are restricted to seeing only a few others. For most of us, being quarantined with family is similar to quicksand: the sand seems fine at first, and then you rapidly begin to sink and regret your decision. In an ordinary time, if family became to much to handle we would often go out and visit friends to attempt to gain social gratification not derived from the constant bickering of most families. However, this is not an ordinary time. Seeing friends for most is not an option, so we cope through other mediums. FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangout, Snapchat, Instagram, Text, and even staying six feet apart with masks on. As most teens around the world communicate through these mediums it often feels as though we are looking through a glass window. Sure, you can see the other person and you can hear them but it is nothing compared to actually being with them.

This feeling of disconnection from the world (especially that felt by teens) has perplexed many. Most other generations see teenagers as addicted to their phones and claim to see human contact dying before their very eyes. When most teens speak up about these feelings of disconnection it is often met with confusion. If teens are on their phone so much then why should quarantine affect them any differently than their normal lives? The answer is that human contact is not dead nor was it ever dying, just evolving. Yes, teens spend far more time on their phones than any other activity. However, just ask any teen whether or not they would want to stay home and watch Netflix or go to a party? When given the choice most would choose the latter. Even for those that would choose the former, they would most likely invite a friend or two over to watch it with them. One could argue that technology is replacing previous human contact by pointing to the increase in streaming services like Netflix or the increase in video games sales. However, these activities can be equated to going to the movies with your friend, or going to an arcade to play Pac-man or Galaga. Human contact has simply absorbed the resources around it and adapted to accommodate them. This has never been more evident than during a quarantine. Although teens of today fare much better than their peers in the 70's, 80's, 90's or even the 2000's, there is still that palpable disconnect between friends. Although you still may be able to watch Netflix with a friend, you no longer have the ability to comment on a certain line or actor. A teen may be able to make a phone call or FaceTime with a friend but after a while, their only desire is to hear their friend's voice in a normal setting and not through satellite. Why else would a teen feel bored when there is a constant bombardment of entertainment options? This quarantine has showed that human contact is a strong as ever, it just looks different than it did in years past.