Balance between digital and face-to-face friends
Written by Lina Ramirez, GSW
It is not a surprise for any of us that during the past year, social interactions have been harder to maintain and have, to some extent, declined in our day-to-day lives. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, several of our day-to-day tasks such as classes, jobs, grocery shopping, church services, team meetings, group gatherings among others have moved online to some degree and during different periods of time throughout the last year. Whether it is because there have been restrictions implemented, personal decisions aimed at being more precautions, or simply finding a commodity in doing more things from the comfort of our home; worldwide people are starting to do more things virtually (some more than others) than they were before. Amid all of this, we have all been extremely resilient in welcoming these changes, adapting to unforeseen circumstances, and striving to maintain as much normalcy as we possibly can. One of these areas has certainly been the nature of our everyday interactions where face-to-face interactions seem to be reduced and/or exchanged for online/virtual gatherings.
It is therefore also not surprising to find that many people are currently struggling to determine where their boundaries lie in terms of digital vs. face-to-face interactions. More and more we are seeing anxiety, worry, and fear rise as we attempt to identify what we do and do not feel comfortable with regarding social gatherings, events, and public spaces. In reality, this is as normal of a feeling as it gets. It is ok for us to be confused, ok for us to not be sure about whether we really want to go to that live concert but at the same time feel frustrated when some of our classes and/or other daily interactions move online momentarily. These mixed feelings communicate just how badly we actually desire social interaction, how much we miss hanging out with friends, family, classmates, and coworkers. This is rightly so, after all, we were not meant to stay isolated for long periods of time. Our mind, body, and spirit seem to be yearning for this more than ever before and it may be time to tune into what they are saying.
Online interactions as convenient, advanced, and as helpful as they have certainly been during this time; have also sometimes left us feeling more drained than energized, caught in the middle of confusing brain fog and/or what people are now calling “Zoom fatigue”. Excessive use of online platforms, social media accounts, and FaceTime conversations have also given us somewhat of a false sense of connection where we are not only not present physically but also at times disconnected emotionally and mentally from the person across the screen. This has made us lose track of the immediacy of the here and now in real time with the people we love and cherish. It is hard not to lose this when I can “connect” with someone with just one simple click and can also disconnect as quickly and as easily with another click of a button.
On the other hand, various studies have shown that face-to-face interactions can have several advantages which online interactions (social media, text messages, phone calls, FaceTime, video call, Zoom, etc) simply are not able to foster. Some of these include face-to-face interaction being able to generate higher levels of productivity among team members, decrease symptoms of depression, reduce the likelihood of onset of depression, improve one’s own mood, as well as enhance emotional regulation.
So today, far from intending to change the nature of all your current interactions, we simply invite you to reflect on where your own limits and boundaries may currently lie regarding face-to-face vs. digital interactions. How healthy and comfortable are these right now? What has seemed to work for you and what hasn’t? Are you choosing momentary comfort by attending class online versus obtaining that interaction with classmates you’ve been wanting to have for a while now? Could you try reducing the amount of text messages you are sending your friends and just invite them to do something together? It can be something as simple as grabbing lunch on campus together, walking together after class, or playing a sport outside.
We can continue interacting in person with those around us while also being cautious and making the best of the technology we have, it is all part of being good stewards of what we have been given and choosing wisely.
https://www.today.com/health/face-face-interaction-may-be-vitamin-depression-study-suggests-t48101
