How COVID-19 Affected the Way We Interact

Human beings are typically referred to as “social creatures” because we tend to be uncomfortable with the idea of being alone. With this in mind, comparing the social structure of the world before and after COVID-19 reveals a substantial shift in how we interact with one another. 

The shift may not have been as momentous if it did not lead so many people to feel isolated from the world, especially during various lockdowns. But it did, and it is, which is why I decided to share my “very important” opinion of it on the internet. 

In my opinion, the world is now hesitant to interact or even start conversations with other people. This is because, after being isolated from human beings or told to “stay six feet” away from them at all times, people got used to dealing with the social anxiety that was often a result of this new environment.  

And I was only talking about the adults! I was but a wee high school student when I was told that we would be sent home for “just two weeks” and then things would all continue like usual. I was also simply a high school student when I realized that seven straight periods of class ON ZOOM would be the new normal. 

It is important to understand how this sudden change in social structure impacted adults, teens and children, and even seniors. So come with me down the literal worst memory lane ever as we explore how prominently social interaction has changed. We’ll even discuss how to feel more normal around people since we do in fact live on the planet with one another…

COVID-19’s Affect on Society

Before COVID, society felt like a more structured environment for people to interact. The rules were clear and everyone (for the most part) agreed with them. It was somewhat safe, and while it is important to note that some conditions that affected social interaction still existed during this time (social anxiety, some forms of Autism, etc.), the rules were still clearly agreed upon. 

*What is Society?:

Society is a construct that is made up of all the rules humans abide by in the social sector of life (it is often regarded as the worst thing ever because it has been proven to disregard MANY groups of peoples’ experiences). Examples of these rules include chivalry and other sayings like: “Treat others how you would want them to treat you”.

It is important to remember that we as a human race decide what is right and wrong in conversation. In other words, society is completely under our control. It is important to remember this when reading further. 

Typical pre-COVID interactions included inviting your friends out to brunch on a day that works out for all of you. During COVID, you could barely expect a text message of the occasion (often because interacting with people had become a rare commodity… also the virus was easily spread upon human contact).

I can’t speak for those who experienced extreme loneliness during their respective lockdowns around the world, but people did have this unfortunate experience. In fact, the lockdown was my true Nirvana. That was the reality of many other people my age around that time. 

Yes, social anxiety existed before COVID-19. And yes, many teenagers and others were affected by this (not just Gen-Z by the way). Because the pandemic disrupted the social structure of the world, however, multiple age groups were able to revel in their loneliness. They even thrived in the absence of other human beings, thus came the disruption of the societal rules we saw before. 

It would be very different if human interaction continued like normal and we did not have six-foot lines at every checkout area in the grocery store at a certain point in time. In this case, social anxiety would still have existed, but it would absolutely not have been able to fester into so many minds as it did during the lockdowns. Therefore it would not be as prominent today. 

The Shift to Living Online

With the sudden change from in-person meetings to online meetings (either through ZOOM or other mediums) came an equally sudden cutoff for many people to be able to communicate with one another. As I mentioned before, younger people during this time were more inclined to develop social anxiety. Just think of it as the average teenage/childhood experience for some people.

Possibly the biggest culture shock that came for adults at this time could be seen in their new work environments. Some adults were faced with the unfortunate reality of not being able to work anymore, and others were able to work from home. 

Those who were able to attend their jobs at home were faced with many new problems we hadn’t seen much before. The problem being this: Staying at home with your family 24/7 pretty much sucks. And none of that “I love my family, I could never not want to be around them,” crap. We all know what it was like. It was a hard pill to swallow for many.

That, along with families needing to help teach their kids since online school was brand new for most children and even teachers, did not help people get used to this new way of living. I mean, why would they want to? Teaching is an entire career field BECAUSE it is important to focus on the education and development of children.

I don’t have a family of my own (yet) but even I can assume that trying to get work done while stuck in the same house as your kids for days on end is just not a good recipe for mental stability. I mean, I love my family… but goodness. Locking myself in my own room was the only way to get through it sometimes. 

So suffice it to say that COVID-19 really did a number on our previous social structure. The world wasn’t used to this sudden change. As people, we did what we could with what we had and eventually got through it (for the most part). 

Even if people were okay with the idea of spending every second of every day in the same house in their families (Which, if you truly believe that you either really love your family or are just flat out lying to yourself), it would be logical to say that people getting comfortable with staying at home all day would still affect our social structure. 

It isn’t easy or even possible to consolidate everyone’s lockdown experience into one paragraph or even a whole blog, so I won’t bore you with any more details. Just bear with me on this last point: COVID-19 changed our society as a whole and now we have the opportunity to rebuild it.

The Future of Social Interaction

I hate to sound like a broken record, but it is very important to remember that most of the people in the world have experienced social anxiety to some degree. Being as that may, we need to remember this when talking to other people. 

I like to remind myself that the person that I’m talking to is just as scared of talking as me, and it’s most likely true. Conversations feel more awkward nowadays, like somehow the structure of a good conversation has completely changed and now we’re stuck improvising.

Small talk is now (most likely) known as the worst conversation starter ever made. So sometimes we end up looking at each other with literally nothing to say. 

In the perfect world my brain has made for me, we as a society go into conversations knowing that we don’t know exactly what to say to each other, and that is okay for all of us. Conversations still cause anxiety, but we’re more understanding of that because (mostly) everyone feels the same way about them.

In my perfect little world, we ask each other about how we’re feeling during conversation to see how we can make the other person feel more comfortable, and they do the same for us. We are all in all more open-minded and honest because, at the very end of the day, we are all just people trying to do the best we can with what we have. 

I know I’m not the only one who wants at least some parts of my perfect world to be parts of the real world. I’m guessing that, if you’ve made it this far in the article, you’ve even got some ideas of your own. 

For now, let’s take a look at some tips I have to help you better navigate this new age of conversation:

Tip 1: Don’t Rush the Conversation

Keep in mind that the other person is probably just as anxious as you (as mentioned above), so if you hear them stutter over words or even if you stutter over them yourself, act as if the conversation is going normally. Because in reality, it is. Anxiety is SUPER normal. 

Tip 2: Don’t Talk If You Don’t Want To

I found that both in the past and present, people become agitated during conversations because they feel forced to talk even when they don’t want to.

Low social batteries are accepted nowadays, so it helps to just politely let the person you are talking to know that you simply aren’t in the mood for conversation. (It definitely might sting for both you and that other person, but blowing up on them because you don’t feel like talking will surely hurt them the most).

Tip 3: Ask Random Questions

Okay, so don’t JUST ask random questions. But don’t be afraid to ask about things you are interested in. Let’s say the person you are talking to works as an engineer. If you’ve always wondered how the heck bridges are built to last even though hundreds of cars drive over them (all the time), ask them that. 

Tip 4: Control the Conversation

I’m not talking about manipulating the person you are talking to. People are more inclined to talk to you if they don’t feel like they have to carry the conversation, just like they’re more likely to work on a project with you if you’re known to get things done. Be that relief for people sometimes. 

*Pro Tip: This may very well be daunting for some people, and that is okay. The trick is to just do it. Because after all, it is harder to be afraid of skydiving if you’ve already jumped off the plane. 

**Important Note!: You may encounter people who aren’t receptive to the way you communicate. Some people are having bad days or simply don’t feel like talking. That’s okay, we always need to respect others’ boundaries.

What to Do With This Information

If you kept your idea for the perfect world in mind, now is the time for you to share it with the world. Down below you’ll find a comment section that is (weirdly, yet unabashedly) excited for you to share your ideas with it. Remember that the goal is to create a welcoming environment in an effort to increase people’s open-mindedness.  

If you’re not quite comfortable with sharing your ideas with internet folk, you could also share it with your friends in real life because well, at least you know they already like you. Both you and your friends can use the tips and advice provided in this article to create change within your personal circle of friends. 

Some people may not be as willing to change their way of communicating with people. This is completely okay. The most important advice in this article is to always be understanding of other people’s wants and boundaries. It is never okay to try and force your beliefs onto others. 

I hope that I can inspire change in some people’s lives with the information provided in this article. My personal goal is to remind people that the way to live their lives with the most fulfillment is simply to understand and respect people’s lives, journeys, and experiences.

I say this because the angriest people seem to be those who are caught up in trying to change the way others live for their own comfort when the reality is that happiness comes from within. 

So I’ll end my long spiel about world peace and leave you to your own thoughts. But I will still let you know that I am very appreciative that you took time out of your day to read this article and I hope to see you either in the comments or on my other social sites. 

If I don’t see you again though, just remember that even though everybody may not like me, they have no choice but to love me because I will always be there for them and accept them for who they are.