By Ashley D’Ambrosia

Social interaction is critical for mental and physical health. Research done at the University of Texas in Austin stated that “The emotional support provided by social connections helps to reduce the damaging effects of stress, and can foster a sense of meaning and purpose in life.” Now, when it is especially hard to interact with others, it is important to be creative and find ways to maintain social interaction while being safe.

One of the best ways to stay active while also having social interaction is by going on walks or bike rides with friends. With summer around the corner, and the weather getting warmer, being outside with friends, rather than inside on screens all day, is one of the best ways to stay social. After a long morning on Zoom, doing some of these activities has been one of the best ways for me to stay mentally healthy during this time. Taylor Domson (’22) says, “Walks with friends are the most relaxing parts of my days. It is an opportunity to socialize and get some fresh air. Although nothing can replace the jokes and laughing fits of school, walks replicate that environment in the most accurate way.” 

For people who need encouragement to go outside and exercise, walks and bike rides can be great motivation. Elyse Cram (’21) says, “They have encouraged me to get outside more.” Grace Cornell (’21) says, “I’ve probably gone on more walks in the past two months than I have in the past year.” Once quarantine comes to an end, hopefully people will realize the beauty of being outside and continue to take part in walks and bike rides more regularly.

There have been many birthdays in the past two months, and things are not the same for those who are celebrating. Birthday drive-bys have become a popular trend to help people celebrate their special day while staying at home. My younger sister Olivia D. (’24) did a birthday drive-by for one of her friends. Abby M. (’24), who participated in the drive-by, says, “We did a birthday drive-by for a friend, and it was really fun to see everyone in person. We drove by and honked our horns, made posters, laughed, and cheered.” Domson also participated in a birthday drive-by and said, “It was the perfect way to see and celebrate with a multitude of friends. The drive-by gifted me with the opportunity to talk to a lot of friends, which I realized I missed more than ever.”

Picnics are also a great way to stay connected. Whether sitting in a large field, or in the trunks of cars in a parking lot, picnics are a creative way to keep in touch with friends while also staying socially distant. Even though restaurants are closed for dining in, people are still able to support them by getting take out and then eating it with friends. Cornell says, “I did a Regency Mall parking lot picnic with friends, and I ate El Cap while catching up with people. It was really nice to be around friends.” Olivia went to Deep Run Park in Henrico with her Girl Scout troop for a picnic. She says, “It was nice, because I wouldn’t usually talk to them on a daily basis other than at school, so it was nice to talk to people that I don’t usually talk to.” 

Social media and Zoom have also helped keep people connected. Whether making a group TikTok from home or Zooming with family and friends you don’t normally see, social media has played a crucial role in keeping the world connected. Earlier in the quarantine, my club volleyball team made a volleyball TikTok from our homes. We each took a video of ourselves bumping, setting, and spiking the ball into the camera. We then put the videos together to create the illusion that we are all playing together. 

Many people have also been using Zoom to have reunions with friends and family they usually do not see. My mother Vanessa D’Ambrosia celebrated a friend’s birthday over Zoom just last week. Because her friend lives in New Jersey, she normally would not have been able to celebrate with her, but now because of Zoom she could. Catherine Horner (’22) also participated in a birthday party over Zoom. She says, “My family celebrated my Great Aunt Gale’s 75th birthday, and we had a family reunion over Zoom. Since a lot of my family lives in North Carolina, it was much more convenient to Zoom, and allowed for more family members and friends to come.” Although the situation is not ideal, social media has helped people see friends and family in a group setting more than they would have before. 

Celebrities and talk show hosts are also finding creative ways to stay connected with their fans. Both Jimmy Fallon and Ellen Degeneres, along with other talk show hosts, have been recording their shows from their homes. The Vulture commented on Fallon’s experience filming at home: “When Fallon finishes a joke, he turns to his audience — his wife and kids — waiting briefly for a response. Instead, he ends up laughing at Franny, who’s messing up the music cues she’s supposed to be playing on an iPad.” Although the situation for Fallon is not ideal, he says, “The alternative is doing no show at all.”

Degeneres is also hosting her show from home. Degeneres joked to Deadline about filming in her living room, saying, “It has the best light and sound, and because all the other rooms in my house are filled with toilet paper.” Degeneres says, “I want to spread light where there’s shade, I want to bring a glow where it’s gloomy, I want to stick a candle where the sun doesn’t shine.” Saturday Night Live has also been doing the show from home; IndieWire commented on the situation, saying, “While SNL at Home certainly isn’t the show at its most normal format, that hasn’t stopped SNL from trying to replicate said format under these circumstances.” Saturday Night Live just ended its 45th season with 18 episodes, and it hopes to return to its normal format in September. 

Other television networks have put together family singalongs. A few weeks ago, ABC held a Disney Family singalong with performances from their homes by Ariana Grande, Christia Aguilera, Demi Lovato, and even a High School Musical reunion. The singalong was so popular that ABC hosted another singalong on Mother’s Day, with performances by Idina Menzel, Ben Platt, Shakira, and more. James Cordon also hosted a singalong with the cast of Dear Evan Hansen. They sang the song “You Will Be Found” to let people know that they are not alone during this time. They wanted to leave a message to fans telling them to stay connected with friends and family, because it is the best thing to keep happy and healthy during this time.