COVID-19 has recently become a giant obstacle in our everyday life. The Coronavirus Pandemic has affected everything from schooling, extracurricular activities, and even sports. Schools in 48 of the 50 states are closed while they are being sanitized and cleansed. Kids were counting down the days until school closed, but now are waiting for the reopening. Children and adults alike are forced to be in quarantine, spending months contained inside of their houses, being told to only go out for necessary reasons and with strict regulations. Adults are getting laid off from their jobs because businesses are not generating enough income to keep running. Friendships are getting severed because of the lack of face-to-face connections. There may not be anything else, but wait! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Superman! Just kidding – but it is social media! Social media has been looked down on, but now, it’s a savior for kids and adults.

Social media is a savior, especially apps like Houseparty and Facetime. These apps provide ways to see your friends and interact with them by playing games, listening to music, and more. Now with social media, kids and adults can at least see each other and stay connected. Not only do apps like these help, but so do other apps, such as Instagram and Tiktok. Social media sites like TikTok are useful during this time because users can express themselves using music or in other ways. Instagram allows users to share their lives with their family and friends. Social media is helping us stay connected.

Social media can help us during this time, but it can also have a pretty big impact on our mood. Although some may say that social media can cause negative moods, it can also reduce FOMO (the “fear of missing out”) by helping them stay connected, especially during times of mandated social distancing. Another positive impact is that it can increase awareness of important topics, such as the protests and racial injustice movement presently occurring. In these unprecedented times, social media should be used as a tool to stay in touch with family and friends. 

Summatively, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been really difficult times for many students and their families. How have you or will you use social media as a tool to cope? Try using it to connect with family, friends, or to express yourself!