Items

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  2022-03-07

  There’s A ‘Vibe Shift’ On Reddit—People Are Sharing Heartfelt Stories Of Loneliness And Isolation Due To The Pandemic And Working From Home

  This is a news story from Forbes by Jack Kelly. This story is about loneliness felt from isolation that people are discussing on Reddit. Subreddits like r/antiwork and r/wallstreetbets, a lot of these conversations are sharing details about their feelings they might not want to share elsewhere. Since Reddit allows people to submit anonymously, it gives others an environment they can give more details on subjects they maybe wouldn't tell to even their family members. Some of these discussions are about those that are single and work from home, which creates a very solitary experience. One woman, 27, on Reddit describes trying to join Facebook groups and do online dating to have more interaction during the pandemic. She says she felt a slight panic seeing her other friends get married, have kids, or engaged, which made her feel even lonelier. Others describe the challenges with finding remote work and needing support to help cope with that hardship. The lack of socialization has had massive effect on young adults just starting out in life, and it has given some worse mental health as a result. While some might thrive with being alone, others have suffered. Another woman, 32, says that prior to the pandemic, she was a 'social butterfly' and outgoing, but is now antisocial and a shut-in. She says that she lacks the motivation to go places like she used to. In addition to this, her place of employment is considering permanent work-from-home for employees, making some of those social struggles even worse. Some Redditors ended up giving advice for people that shared stories like these, such as smiling every day towards someone, or going outside for 15 minutes or longer. Simple things like this were common suggestions to help with some people's mental health issues induced because of the pandemic isolation. I think that this story helps show some of the negative effects young people have had with readjusting their entire lives, and then feeling lost once they get too used to it when things are starting to go back to "normal."
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  2021-09-17

  MA, AP and JK Oral History, 2021/09/17

  This is a casual interview about the effects of COVID on mental health, academics, family life, etc. We discuss the biggest impact COVID had on us, our experience with the pandemic, what we did over quarantine, and much more, from the perspective of college freshmen.
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  2018-02

  The Power of Pets: Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions

  This story shares how pets help people with their mental health in a variety of ways. Pets were vital in helping people with their mental and physical health during the pandemic. This article, while written pre-pandemic, shows the different ways in which pets are beneficial.
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  2020-07-17

  Study reveals gender inequality in telecommuting

  This article discusses findings from the COVID Impact Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The data show gender inequality associated with working from home. The survey found that mothers working from home spend more time on housework and childcare than fathers working from home. Mothers also report increased levels of anxiety, loneliness, and depression.
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  2021-02-25

  Longing to go Outside

  Like people, my dog seems to miss going out to public spaces (like an out door mall, hiking, the patio of a restaurant, even the Pima Air and Space Museum) and getting attention from all the humans that pass by. He too is missing out on the social experiences that he used to enjoy before the pandemic.
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  2020-05-09

  Self-portrait with mask, May 2020

  During the pandemic, I often walk in Brooklyn's historic Green-Wood Cemetery with its rolling hills, lovely views, and fantastic old monuments; it's also where my grandparents are buried. I've always loved the beautiful, timeless melancholy of the place, but during the pandemic, it was also a strange comfort to read the headstones and think of the people buried all around me. Life, sickness, crisis, death are all just part of being human. These dead humans also lived, suffered, died, and now it's just another version of the same thing. The self-portrait included here is based on a photo I took of myself in Green-Wood as I wandered there one day in April 2020, looking to get away from lockdown and to find company among the graves.
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  2020-12-07

  The Home Within My Head: My Experience of COVID-19 In Prose

  I have always been acutely aware of how poetry connects people across places and time. Today, more so than ever before, humans are grasping for a connection as intimate as physicality without having to be in the same room. This poem speaks to that struggle. I hope it helps others out there, suffering from isolation, to feel a bond across the deep chasms COVID-19 has cultivated in our new world.
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  2020-09-08

  Victorian Isolation – HIST30060

  The second lockdown was an extraordinarily difficult time for Victorian citizens. Our social media feeds were filled with Australians and the international community celebrating their newfound freedom, whilst we were stuck at home, demoralised, and overwhelmed with the rising cases and deaths in our hometown. This article struck me because it was the only publication I saw in this time which accurately captured the loneliness and hopelessness that was felt throughout the state.
• 
  2020

  Jewish Melbourne - My Two Lockdown Experiences - Day by Day

  I shared my thoughts, experiences and feelings: my family and me in lockdown. In both lockdown #1 and lockdown #2, in daily blog posts over many weeks. Many of the stories include Jewish-life aspects.
• 2020-05-12

  Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent ? Journal de confinement, 14 mars-10 mai 2020

  I wrote every day. A true story of my life, alone and all my friends : radio, books, friends, websites...
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  2020-07-17

  A Warm Meal Shared

  It's my story in how something mundane like cooking a meal and the community of sharing a meal is affected severely by COVID 19. Since I live alone at present, it is difficult, let alone near impossible to share a meal with anyone else and the disconnect I feel affects me and possibly some people who have to live alone and no one to communicate with. It's also a story of longing forward to see my fiancée again and trying to live life with a semblance of normalcy in an uncertain world.