Lockdown’s Effects on Connectivity and Social relations:
Before lockdown began, our schedules were overwhelmed with tasks, reporting for work. No one had the time for long phone calls and, when we met with others, our phones followed suit. Because we live in an age of rapid exchanges of messages, I did not need to call my friends and relatives to ask about their days. Instead, I could simply check their updates on Instagram or Snapchat.
However, after lockdown, about a third of the world’s population was obliged to stay at their houses. People were prevented from going to their work, wandering on the roads and seeing their loved ones. Due to lockdown only Pharmacies and food shops were kept open, while other shops were closed. So people could not go shopping or buy anything other than food and medicine. In this case, all people had to commit to their homes to save their life and health. Most people were in a state of terror from this virus which terrified most of the countries of the world. People were encouraging each other on social networking sites during their home quarantine to overcome this dangerous stage.
Some families started trying multiple activities inside the house to fill their time. Family members became more close to each other as they were staying the whole day together. Mothers were able to spend more time with their families and cooking with the family the varied food that she was not able to do in the age of speed. In addition, each family was trying to do activities in multiple ways to entertain themselves and fill all their time during the lockdown. Therefore, the impact of the lockdown on the lives of families had a positive effect by spending more time with the family and having more time to communicate with friends on social media.
We had various activities at home as we were prevented from going to the gym. I was trying to do my workout at my house by using available sports machines and getting help from workout videos on the Internet for people who do workout exercises. Moreover, we had shared many activities in our family, which encouraged us to do sport exercises. Thus, these things made stronger family relationships.
Lockdown’s Effects on Livelihoods:
During those uncertain times, many universities paused face-to-face teaching, and university students had to take online lectures. For some students that might prove quite a challenge. In that situation, human’s lives have changed, studying online to keep students in the atmosphere of the study to be easier on them until they are back to schools and universities.
Most people can work online from home to do their work in an alternative way. There are many online tools such as Skype or Zoom they can download for free and coordinate video chats with groups of people. Using these programs is to set up groups with workmates so we can spend some time discussing ideas, analyzing texts together and swapping work tips. That is a great way to keep in touch with the team at work and maintain the collaborative aspect of the career path. It also helps by adding some social contact in order not to feel isolated and working alone.
However, Some people cannot work online like traders, construction workers, electricity workers, etc. In this case, the economic situation of these people will harm them where they could not provide food to their families. Also, the situation and circumstances in our country which increase the suffering of the people as the Lebanese lira is losing its value and it lost about two thirds of its value and the income of some families is the same as before the lockdown, while most of other families became without an income.
Amina Saad, 25, architect, Palestinian living in Baddawi North Lebanon
Photo by Maxime Guy on Unsplash