All Together Now
Posted on 9th September 2020 at 12:06
We’re All in this Together. Better Together. Come Together. All Together Now. We’ve heard songs about togetherness for decades but today, more than ever, being together isn’t as easy as it always has been. Or is it?
During lockdown, we came together with our neighbours to applaud the NHS. We chatted to them across the street about how their week was and made new friendships. We joined Facebook support groups, neighbour networks and looked out for one another. We turned into part-time bakers and we consoled those who lost loved ones. Sure, we were only allowed out for an hour a day but it seemed the community spirit was at an all-time high. However, there is no denying that everyone’s life changed on 19th March when we stopped being able to see friends and family. We had to maintain our relationships online and over the phone.
Even before the Coronavirus forced us to stay away from our nearest and dearest, socialising was turning digital. We’d keep up over WhatsApp, we’d FaceTime each other and we’d comment on each other’s Facebook posts. Today, we’re spending time with friends and family over the internet more than we ever have and that’s not necessarily a bad thing! A lot of people have admitted that they’ve spoken to their family more during lockdown than they ever did before. We’re even chatting to those on the other side of the world more often despite not even being able to see them in normal circumstances. Without social media, we couldn’t see our loved ones (albeit through a screen) for months. It really did take a pandemic for us to start talking to each other again!
At Specky and Ginge, social media is (obviously) our life. And sure, we focus on exploiting its benefits to help businesses gain visibility and therefore money. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t passionate about creating a positive environment for personal users too. We’ve mentioned in a previous blog, ‘How to Not be a D*ck Online’, the importance of being kind to each other on social media. For a lot of people, these platforms are used as a form of escapism, means of having a laugh and catching up with friends. They don’t want to be bogged down with negative comments. It’s also important to remember the impact that these comments can, in some cases, cause those on the receiving end to take fatal actions as we saw with Caroline Flack. This was reported in the media as she was a celebrity. We dread to think how many other people have suffered the same fate.
Facebook “helps you connect and share with the people in your life”. Twitter tells you to “follow your interests, hear what people are talking about and join the conversation.” Instagram is “bringing you closer to the people and things you love”. These are the three main social media platforms and all have a very similar message – togetherness. Please continue to use social media positively by building people up rather than shooting them down. Social media isn’t going anywhere soon so use it to create the best communities possible.
Tagged as: Community Spirit, Coronavirus UK
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