CHANGE IN RELATIONSHIPS

A CHANGE IN RELATIONSHIPS

Students reflect on changes to relationships due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing

BY ANDREW POESCHL MARY MARCINEK reporters

‘‘ At the beginning of quarantine, I lost a couple of friends because of miscommunication and not being able to tell my story in person because it was hard. And then I got closer to my other friends because of that.

freshman Adaire Mathias

COVID-19 has had many negative ef- you will not feel as connected to the people fects on all aspects of our lives, but one of you are associated and friends with,” Monthe worst consequences of it is the loss of day said. contact with friends and loved ones. After Monday adds that often times words one year of the pandemic keeping us from can be misinterpreted over social media. going out and spending time with others, “Things get misconstrued, we misunmany of us have begun to lose touch with derstand, we don’t communicate as well, some of our friends. Some have simply be- some of us are very sarcastic and that does come closed off from the world, while oth- not go well in texting or social media. I ers can not find the time to spend with their think if you are just relying on those mofriends. dalities... it’s going to make it very hard to

“I think all relationships flourish when really have the connections in relationships we are in person so while we can have re- that are healthy and strong bonds. We are lationships remotely, virtually I do think it wired to be emotionally and relationalimpacts relationships negatively,” social ly connected to one another. That doesn’t worker Jamie Monday said. “I do know mean we need hundreds of friends, but we some people were struggling so they with- need a few people that we feel really condrew and isolated, so they’ve had less con- nected with and that’s not possible via sotact in relationships and that’s caused some cial media and texting.” relationships to become more distant or not Junior Amanda Bengston believes that as connected with each other, not seeing each other as much, not as close, or maybe they have lost touch completely.” Freshman Adaire Matthias agrees with ‘‘ I think all relationships flourish when we are in person so while we can have relationships remotely, virtually although using social media does help with connecting with friends, it can’t completely sustain all relationships on its own. “There are some people that I wasn’t Monday, and com- I do think it impacts re- super close to start ments on how the pan- lationships negatively. with,and now we just demic has impacted completely don’t talk her relationships. “At the beginning of quarantine, I lost a social worker Jamie Monday anymore. If I don’t have classes with somebody, I don’t couple of friends be- really get to talk to cause of miscommunication and not being them at all. Social media is about as deep able to tell my story in person because it as most of my relationships go right now,” was hard, and then I got closer to my oth- Bengston said. “There are like four people er friends because of that,” Matthias said. that I’d like to hang out with outside of “Since I wasn’t so focused on my friends school, even though I talk to a lot of people I stopped being friends with I got closer to and have a lot of friends.” the ones I wasn’t as close with before.” Despite this, some students have man-

Socially isolating has been a problem aged to strengthen their relationships as for many students over the pandemic but well as make new ones. even without being able to see each other “Since quarantine started we used to be in person students have managed to find a in the house a lot so I would be getting shots way to connect through other means. out for basketball and some of my friends

“In general with the whole shutting would be outside and people I didn’t realdown of places, we couldn’t really go to ly know,” freshman Glynnon Nelson said. hang out at spots like the square or the fair- “I would start talking to them because we grounds, so really a lot of communication were all at home.” has been pushed online like Snapchat or Although many students like Nowaonline gaming,” junior William Nowakow- kowski have lost friends through the panski said. demic, they are eager to reconnect.

Even though social media can be a “I feel like once this is entirely over convenient way to connect to friends, Mon- and we can go back to normal there is gonday notes that it is not a perfect medium. na be a lot of socializing and people being

“You are just relying on texting and so- social more because we finally realized cial media to maintain your relationship. It how great it is to be with one another in is not going to be authentic, genuine and person,” said Nowakowski.

The top 3 relationships impacted by COVID-19 Friendships

91.9% (57 students)

Family 61.3% (38 students)

Significant Others

33.9% (21 students)

*62 students surveyed and top 3 responses are listed. Students were given the option to pick more than one answer for their response

58.1%

of students are still able to hang out with their friends

*62 students surveyed