In a time where it isn’t safe to see friends or family, social media has enabled people to stay connected, as well as informed.  

The coronavirus has impacted everyone’s lives in so many ways. People can’t do a lot of the things they used to be able to do including see their friends and family that they don’t live with.  

Social media allows people to talk and see each other digitally without putting themselves in danger. They can FaceTime, post pictures of themselves on apps like Instagram and tweet out things going on with themselves to add a sense of normalcy in a very hectic time.  

Without social media, people would probably feel a lot lonelier than they already do – and while it’s hard enough not being able to see loved ones, it would be a lot harder if it was impossible to communicate with them at all.  

Additionally, people would probably put themselves in more danger if social media didn’t allow them to communicate. Being able to converse digitally makes it less likely that people will break quarantine and hang out with their friends just because of their boredom.  

On social media applications like TikTok, people have created a multitude of videos about not breaking quarantine so that the pandemic can be controlled more efficiently. People spreading messages of proper social distancing makes others want to follow their example.  

When creators and influencers post about what they’re doing in quarantine and how they’re following suggested guidelines, it makes the people who follow them more likely to do the same.  

It has also let information about safety precautions spread far and wide. Many apps like Instagram have notices about COVID-19 at the top of user’s feed. This links to information provided by the CDC about stay-at-home measures.  

Seeing this information spreads awareness about the disease that many people probably wouldn’t see or care about otherwise, and being updated on the latest information can be vital in a time like this.  

Health care workers have also been posting videos on TikTok that have gone viral and been seen by hundreds of thousands – sometimes even millions – of people. Seeing the people who are risking their lives to help others talk about what people should be doing in this time of crisis is extremely powerful.  

Anyone with an ounce of compassion can see that these people are sacrificing their own well-being for others, and these videos have the potential to make people want to try harder to do what they can to stop the spread of coronavirus.  

Lastly, it provides something to do in a time where so much is shut down.  

People can’t go to restaurants, but they can use social media to find new recipes to try making themselves at home. 

People can’t go to the gym, but there are so many videos on social media with workout routines to try. 

People can’t go to the mall, but social media allows them to find cute clothes to buy online without going into stores.  

These are just some examples, but social media is an outlet that helps make up for some of the things that have been lost due to quarantine.  

Not only does social media keep people informed and connected, but it can also help them stay safe in a very scary time.  

While quarantine has made people insanely bored, people who are stuck inside tend to revert to their phones. While using social media seems like a good idea during this time, this article tells of the reasons it is not.  

With COVID-19 spreading across the world like wildfire, countries have made efforts to prevent the increase of cases. In Florida, we’ve closed down our beaches and parks, limited essential workplace’s store hours and closed non-essential workplaces.  

We have a standard rule of staying six feet apart from strangers in stores, when exercising, grabbing food, etc. However, social media is making this regulation hard. We see people out with their friends through apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, etc.  

During this pandemic, we should be isolating ourselves and staying home, only going out of the house when it is absolutely essential. When we see our friends hanging out on social media, we get the idea that it is safe to go out in small groups. These small groups may turn to larger ones and from there, things can get out of hand.  

I cannot count the amount of times I have seen groups of people posting pictures on social media with their friends. They park in parking lots or other public places and sit in their car trunks to socialize. They are clearly not six feet apart and in groups of at least four or more people. 

This angers me because it convinces others that this is a safe way to hang out. The more often this happens, the longer we will be stuck in quarantine, something we should be doing anyways instead of hanging out in our cars.  

I also see that people are posting about themselves out and about on the beach. The beaches are CLOSED. There’s news going around about the access of beaches for exercise, but in these social media posts, they are clearly not exercising, but lounging on towels in bikinis.  

This is not okay. The beaches are closed for a reason. Beaches aren’t closed to take the fun away or to punish anyone. It is solely for the protection of not only yourself, but other people around you. These public places will open back up when the time is right. They are taking things nice and slow. 

When people see others on social media laying on the sand for a nice tan, they get the idea that the beaches are open and safe. This increases the number of people going out their house for non-essential reasons.  

Another reason social media is acting against us during this time is because it influences people to stock up on items in stores. When posts go viral of empty shelves in grocery stores, this makes people want to act fast and take as much as they can for themselves and their families.  

If everyone took only what they needed, we wouldn’t be having this problem. The lack of resources like water, food, toilet paper, diapers, etc. scares people into thinking they need to grab as much as they can.  

This leaves the people who desperately need these items in need them even more. It is sad that our world has come to this, so we must be helping each other in the easiest ways we can. Social media makes it harder for everyone who is struggling and deepens the issues we are going through.  

If we want quarantine to end sooner, we must follow the rules and stay home as much as we can. We should only be going out when it is essential. In order to make things safer for us all, it would be best to take a halt on posting on social media and do your part.