Social Distancing the Safer Way
The practice of social distancing has been challenging for almost everyone. Extroverted people who enjoy meeting in person have struggled with it more than almost anyone. However, spending a lot of time without much direct social interaction really hasn’t been easy for most people all around the world. Fortunately, people can still interact with other individuals safely, even during this era. They just have to keep certain guidelines in mind.
Video Conferencing Software
Many people are now interacting with one another using video chat and conferencing software, and it’s working out well for the most part. While some people say that this still isn’t a substitute for the social interactions that occur in person, it’s still close to providing nearly the same experience.
People have often criticized the practices of sending emails and text messages because these messages don’t reflect how people actually communicate. The words that people use when they talk are important. However, a person’s vocal tones and body language are also important parts of any message. None of that will come through when people are just sending text messages or emails.
It’s possible to see someone’s facial expressions and body language during a video chat session. People are speaking to one another, so their vocal tones will come through. A person’s upper body will be visible, so the person on the other end of the call will get a sense of the person’s posture and attentiveness.
Video chat calls are still not perfect, of course. The cameras tend to distort people’s facial features and proportions slightly. People are often viewed from odd angles in these contexts, which can slightly interfere with the interpretation of their body language. The cameras are still not exact enough to give people a perfectly clear reading of each other’s faces.
However, it’s still possible for people to get a lot of effective social interaction through video conferencing. It might not feel exactly the same as talking in person, but it’s close enough for the people who are trying to stay connected and healthy.
Outdoor Events
It’s much safer for people to spend time outdoors during this pandemic than it is for people to spend time indoors. Many modern event organizers are making sure that people sit about six feet apart from one another during the outdoor events of today. These events were designed with social distancing pandemic safety in mind.
Obviously, people should still be careful at events like these. They should make sure that they know that the health guidelines are being followed. However, the people who feel as if they’re spending too much time at home should usually be able to go to certain outdoor activities safely, as long as they’re not sick themselves.
Safe Social Circles
Plenty of people are living with roommates or family members during the pandemic. The people in their immediate social circles have tested negative for the disease, and they’re all practicing the right habits. These individuals are not putting themselves at risk.
Large social events that involve a lot of strangers can become risky, and this is partly because many of the individuals at these events are not wearing masks, getting themselves tested, or otherwise taking the right precautions. People may not know what’s happening with the person sitting six feet away from them at an event, but they know whether or not a friend or a family member has had the illness.
They can also follow mask guidelines in their own social settings, and they won’t have to worry about whether or not dozens or hundreds of other people are doing so at the time.