As COVID-19 continues to keep people in their homes and socially distant, people find other ways to stay in touch and document their experience. The State Historical Society of Missouri has created a place for those living through the crisis to share their experiences by submitting both physical and electronic documents.
“As a community, we are all going through this pandemic together,” the State Historical Society wrote on their website. “Individually, however, the health crisis has affected each of us differently. We all have unique stories to share. Please consider telling us your story in an effort to document for future generations the impact a worldwide pandemic has had on both your community and on you as an individual.”
This idea of documenting what the world is like during COVID-19 is something some students are already doing. Junior Alexis Hunter has documented how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her by journaling. Hunter, who finds journaling therapeutic, likes to take at least 30 minutes a day to eliminate all distractions and journal. While Hunter agrees that social media can be helpful during these times by giving people a place to put out their thoughts for others to see and relate to, it could also hinder some.
“Social media can be overwhelming during these times. We have constant access to a lot of information, and it can be hard to decipher what is and is not accurate,” Hunter said. “I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the information floating around on social media. I am working to fact check information with sources I deem reputable before sharing it with others.”
While junior Sean Puffpaff hasn’t personally documented his experience, he agrees that documenting this time is important, as it’s something that doesn’t happen very often. According to Puffpaff, social media could be beneficial, but says he also sees how those who invest way too much in getting Twitter or Instagram likes could have the opposite effect.
“Right now I think social media is a positive thing for a lot of people,” Puffpaff said. “I think it’s a way for people who may be quarantined by themselves to stay connected to people, and that probably makes spending a lot of time alone a little easier for people.”
_Edited by Sophie Stephens | sstephens@themaneater.com_
