Zoom birthday parties, Houseparty hangouts and virtual pubs are demonstrating that social distancing during the corona crisis does not have to mean isolation. Life under lockdown has sparked a rise in virtual parties. People are coming together online to play boardgames, watch movies together, and host parties via video conferencing. This article by Wired discusses the ways in which people try to socialise during self-isolation and features DigiGen’s Athina Karatzogianni.
” To maintain close relationships you need mental effort and psychological effort to be with people in the same space, to break bread and share happy moments and close relationships help maintain your well being”
Athina Karatzogianni, associate communication professor at the University of Leicester
But she argues digital services are no substitute for in-person meetups, warning confinement will have negative effects in the longer term, regardless of how many online parties we attend. You can read the full article on the website of wired here.