Covid-19: a pandemic of social isolation?

The Covid-19 pandemic has made people lonelier than ever. After the strict lockdown, face-to-face socialisation for many is limited to members of their households. While social isolation and loneliness existed prior to Covid-19, governments’ stay-at-home orders, quarantine and social distancing further exacerbated the problem. Today’s world is increasingly witnessing an erosion of ties and social connections, disconnection from other fellow beings, relatives, friends, employers, co-workers and governments.

Noreena Hertz in her latest work, The Lonely Century, reiterates that we are living in a contactless era, where relatives go for months without seeing one another and friends communicate through online platforms which deprive us of real human connection. We are glued to our electronic gadgets which are pulling us away from people around us. We spend a large portion of our time on social media resulting in limited interpersonal interactions. The loneliness and social isolation have also resulted in fragmentation of communities. It accentuates how in the past we failed to build kinder and more empathetic communities.

People living in housing communities mostly stay within their homes during the pandemic. As individuals, we do not make genuine efforts in reaching out to the community. This is partly owing to social distancing measures, but the pandemic does not stop us from helping others or showing kindness. It appears that people have become more self-obsessed and self-seeking. This is largely attributed to rising capitalism that has normalised indifference and trained people to consider selfishness as a virtue. Capitalism eradicated the importance of compassion, empathy, kindness and care from our societies.

It is a hard fact that we are living in broken and lonely societies. Antonio Guterres in his address to the UNGA last year affirmed that “the world is more connected, yet societies are becoming more fragmented.” The isolation people are experiencing during the pandemic is pulling everyone further apart. Those who could go to workplaces and engage in meaningful conversations with their co-workers are unable to continue such discussions during their official Zoom meetings. This is hampering their productivity and affecting their thought processes. Moreover, with virtual education, children are spending more time on screens, making them lonelier. Parents need to monitor screen time as this is impacting their mental well-being. According to Hertz, these gadgets are “weapons of mass destruction” which are stealing our time and making the world a crueler place. According to Sapien Lab’s “Mental State of the World 2020”, children are experiencing emotional disorders and their mental health is being adversely affected. Parents have also failed to help their children develop soft skills such as empathy, kindness, communication skills, listening skills, care and management of relationships.

 

The pandemic is an opportunity to build inclusive and tolerant communities which play a role in bringing communities back together. This could be by investing in and nurturing our local communities. When we encourage the culture of chatting with the postmen, delivery men and community guards. Moreover, we could encourage people to share a common purpose such as volunteering activities including reading books to children in communities by setting up a virtual reading club. We should promote more outdoor activities including gardening and cycling where individuals can interact while maintaining social distancing.

Once Pakistan manages to get a grip over Covid-19, urban planners and government should consider opening books stores which remain open till midnight and allow people to browse, chat over coffee, or attend a free reading. Even now, individuals can form virtual book clubs and remain connected.

To build more connected, inclusive and happier communities in Pakistan, a massive shift in the mindset is required where individuals value friends and wider relationships. As Hertz states, individuals need to recast themselves from consumers to citizens, from takers to givers and from mere observers to active participants.