Reflecting on the Past Two Years
In the past two years, the phrase “when things go back to normal” has found its way into so many of our daily conversations. At this point in the pandemic, it’s safe to say that things will never go back to the way they once were. As the two year anniversary of shutting down due to COVID-19 approaches, it’s important to reflect on how we’ve changed and grown.
Life as we once knew it was suddenly stolen from us one seemingly random afternoon in the middle of March 2020. We didn’t know when we’d get to see our friends, family and loved ones, attend classes, watch sports and so much more. This cultivated an atmosphere for many individuals to become increasingly lonely in such a scary time full of uncertainty. While at times COVID-19 has been polarized in both the political and scientific worlds, it has also brought a lot of people together - virtually, of course - to combat this feeling of loneliness.
The power of social media was put on full display during this time, as it allowed so many people to remain connected and feel part of something. March through May of 2020 quickly became known as the era of Instagram challenges. Ranging from showing off your best push-up form, to Bill Clinton holding your four favorite albums, and so many in between, lack of social interaction really got our creative juices flowing.
TikTok was already on the rise at this time, but the initial period of quarantine helped skyrocket the app’s success. Everyone was bored in their house, and in their house bored, looking for the newest outlet to put their energy into. TikTok soon became a catalyst for so many trends that came to define “season one” of quarantine. This includes trends such as whipped coffee, baking bread, bleach tie-dying, mirror selfies in your yard, and many more.
While in hindsight we might all miss learning the TikTok dance to “Supalonely” and wearing sweatpants everyday, it’s important to remind ourselves how scary those times were. Our doctors and scientists had no previous evidence or data, the news was spotlighting horribly tragic stories of families who were most affected by the pandemic, and we were all stuck inside. It was a terrifying moment, and no one could see a light at the end of the tunnel, especially not frontline workers.
Our society utilized social media in a way that allowed us to come together quickly in a time of serious need, so that it has become easy to feel nostalgic of that phase. Particularly around this time of year, many individuals share their memories and reflect on different ways they were able to survive the beginning portion of the pandemic. It’s natural to become attached to a part of our lives that was so monumental and life-changing.
Our world will never be how it was prior to 2020 and things like Zoom, Tiger King, drive-thru birthday parades, and much more will always remind us of unprecedented times and uncertainty. Looking forward, COVID-19 trends that are here to stay may include working remotely, paperless society, increased outdoor dining areas, and more.
COVID-19 has created a time warp and distorted our sense of reality. To many people, it feels like a lifetime since the coronavirus found its way into our day to day lives, and for others it feels like just yesterday. So much has been taken from us in the past two years, and while things may never be “normal” again, it’s inspiring to reflect on how far we’ve come already.