Items

• 
  2020-03-30

  At Home with My Cats

  Like so many others, I lived by myself and had to navigate the pandemic alone. Except that I was not truly alone. My cats kept me moored; an unwavering source of joy and companionship during those uncertain times. I took this photograph the day I decided to go back to college.
• 
  2020-05-24

  Fireside Chat Episode 3

  Episode Three of Brooklyn High School of the Arts series COVID-19 Fireside Chats! Students share their stories from quarantine.
• 
  2020

  Family triumphs

  My parents are very scared of covid, they are in their fifties with a six year old at home. Due to this, I wasn’t allowed to even be home from the time I was a freshman to this day two years later as a junior. I just miss my family. Pictures and FaceTime isn’t enough for me.
• 
  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."
• 
  2020-03-10

  Goodbye Grandma

  This text I wrote is in memory of my grandma, and the horrible and traumatic flashbacks of Covid 19. This experience took a huge toll on me and my family.
• 
  2020-03-28

  Staying Connected: Battling Isolation During a Global Pandemic

  This music note is the logo for Tik-Tok, the reigning social media outlet that allows account holders to both create and view content in the form of 15-120 second videos. As of 2020, there are an estimated 65.9 million monthly active Tik-Tok users in the United States alone (Statista). Although the app was created in 2016, it skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic and saw a 75% increase in weekly average users from January to September of 2020 (Forbes). I, among millions of others, joined those figures when I created my Tik-Tok account in late March of 2020. When school closed indefinitely earlier that month and my job followed a few weeks after, my meticulously structured daily routine was thrown into a state of disarray. As mounting uncertainty grew over whether it was safe to leave our homes at all, the four walls of my bedroom transformed into a prison. I was perpetually shackled to my bed, spending every day in a continuous cycle of sleep that lacked a beginning or an end. That was until I discovered Tik-Tok. Suddenly, I had a reason to wake up in the morning, anticipating the stream of new videos that would appear on my carefully crafted “for you page”. I spent hours glued to my phone screen, fascinated by the small glimpses into the lives of people who were just as bored as I was. I appreciate Tik-Tok for the fleeting but much needed moments of laughter and distraction it supplied me with throughout the pandemic, but the app holds value to me because it showed me that I was not alone. In the early weeks of quarantine, I spent countless nights in pure distress over what I believed was “wasted time”, and it felt as if I was on the fast track to loosing years of my life. However, Tik-Tok showed me that these feelings did not belong to me alone. Countless other people felt the same way I did, and this knowledge put into perspective the importance of staying connected. My cycle of isolation left me alone with my feelings in a vacuum, but once I opened myself up to the outside world through Tik-Tok, I found solace in the online community of people who shared the same sentiments I did but chose joy and laughter instead of sorrow and despair. Tik-Tok provided me with the support I needed by allowing me to witness the happiness of others, eventually prompting me to create my own.
• 
  2021-06-13

  COVID and My Mental State

  I've never really felt like this before COVID, maybe at times but not as frequent. COVID has been a whole different experiences for me in many ways. I've never really felt so helpless even until now. Having nothing to do or being stuck at home, it took a toll on me. Many of the things I had a passion for or loved doing has made me lose motivation. I have been also slacking on my studies. COVID has also made me realized that I have no friends or personal relations outside of my family. Not going outside as also made me get terrible anxiety and talking to people has been difficult. But I have been working on it as of recently and working on myself little by little every day.
• 
  2021-04-03

  COVID through a healthcare worker [PRIVATE Anonymous]

  Working through a pandemic as a healthcare worker was terrifying. At the very beginning there were a lot of unknowns, and I felt lost, and alone. As I would go through my shifts as a CNA I had to be strong for my patients. I realized I would be going home to my family, but they were not. I was their "visitor" for the day. Patients could not just go outside for fresh air or wonder the halls to stretch their legs, they were confined to their room. Working in the hospital during this pandemic gave me a different perspective. While there were really hard days, there were also really great days. One of the best days was seeing a COVID recovered patient walk for the first time in months. It was times like this that made me realize that you are not granted tomorrow, and to enjoy each day to the fullest. I am so grateful for all the nurses, doctors, environmental services, secretaries, physical therapists, occupational therapists, case managers, and social workers who all came together to help our patients get through a challenging time. The song "Better Days" gives people hope that change and "better days" are near. The music video shows clips of people from all over the world and the impact this pandemic has on them.
• 
  2021-02-26

  Streets of San Francisco 2K21

  Streets of San Francisco 2k21 by @gregoryd1 #sf #sanfrancisco #sfchinatown #chinatown #regram
• 
  2020-05-06

  Questioning the Future

  I closed my laptop after taking my last final exam for my second semester of college. Rather than celebrating the end of my freshman year of college with friends, I was found alone in my childhood bedroom, wondering what the future had next to offer. The distraction of being able to focus on my schoolwork provided an escape from the other depressing reality that I found myself in. My parents were stressed for their own safety, and for the safety of their loved ones, as COVID-19 roamed rampant throughout the United States. My younger brother was attempting to balance online school at the young age of thirteen- stressing about online lectures rather than being able to play with friends as I did at such a young age. I felt angry and helpless that there are people in my community who would not follow preventative measures such social distancing or wearing a mask- simple actions that would be able to save countless lives. I felt frustrated that the leadership of the United States blamed other nations for causing this pandemic, rather than work tirelessly to find ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. In a time where I should have been surrounded by those who I cared deeply about, forming new relationships that would last a lifetime, and focusing on what I truly want to gain in life- I was found alone and wondering if the future I imagined would ever be possible. I imagined that I would be able to go back to school the next year- a campus that I grew up on and imagined making friends on and being social with others- with the hope that a vaccine for COVID-19 would be found. I remember my parents feeling scared about their future as educators, questioning if they would be thrown into the zoo of high school and elementary students, who may have contracted and spread COVID-19. I remember my brother being scared that if he saw his friend, he would make mom and dad sick. All of these depressive scenarios truly made me question the type of life that I was living. Before the pandemic, I remember living life freely; however, it was as if one day was simply repeated into the next, I was going through the motions of life in order to succeed and achieve the future that I desire. Being alone in my childhood bedroom allowed me to realize that life is truly precious at its core- one will never know when their path for life and their future may take a turn for the worst or run into a bump in the road. Nevertheless, spending time with my family for five months allowed me to become reawakened to the little things that life has to offer. The smile of saying hello to a friend without it being hidden behind a mask. The hug of a loved one without it being through protective plastic. Although the pandemic halted my path to the future that I imagined I would have, it allowed me to remember what life truly has to offer, ensuring me that I am still on my path to achieve the future that I desire.
• 
  2021-01-31

  Having fun Online

  Due to Coronavirus I was not able to see my friends so long so we had to come up with ways to have fun online like these self timer photo competitions. They were really fun and it is how we spent a lot of our time at home alone.
• 2021-01-07

  A Virtual Funeral is Now Normal

  On January 7, 2021 I attended a virtual funeral service for a friend's husband. This was the first time I had seen an online funeral. It was streamed on Youtube while the closest family and friends attended in person. I watched the service from my phone alone at work. It felt surreal. I recognized several friends on the tiny screen with familiar voices, but it felt far away. Since then I have spoken to a few people and mentioned how I felt disconnected to be on the other side of the screen. Many others had similar stories about these kinds of services. It was now normal to experience these things, but I can't shake the feeling of how much the experience continues to bother me. I hope some day online services won't be necessary.
• 
  2020-09-11

  Lonely Rest

  To me, I have yet seen any changes in my life due to the pandemic. Before I have always been home and the only place I would leave my house for was school. The only thing that has change is waking up early and trying to get to school on time. Since the pandemic has closed school, I just needed to wake up and join the zoom call with one click of the button. When I do go outside, I have to wear a mask and sometimes I do forget but It hasn't bothered me since the places I go are near by and it didn't take much to go back to my house. This picture is important to me as is really describes how my experience of the pandemic has been. Lazy and tired are two words that describes how I been feeling throughout this pandemic.
• 2021-01-17

  Homesick Holidays

  This past Thanksgiving, I was unable to return home for the holidays. Despite being a busy university student, usually I take the Flix bus from Tempe, AZ to Tucson, AZ so that I can spend the short break with my family before returning to school for finals. However, despite all the precautions that I and my roommates had taken, my father still recommended that I stay at my apartment, seeing that he is a first responder and goes outside almost every day. That, combined with a recent COVID-19 scare on my end meant that for Thanksgiving, I decided that it was my first holidays spent alone.
• 
  2021-01-14

  THE SAGA OF THE CORONIALS

  Corornials. Pandemikids. Just a few hours old and they already bear a generational hashtag. Having a baby is stressful, but having a baby during a pandemic and delivering that child in a COVID-infested hospital when your state is at critical ICU levels does nothing to ease new parents' stress levels. My tiny grandperson was born under these circumstances and my daughter spent almost the entirety of her pregnancy in a pandemically-constricted world. She went to all her OB appointments alone (no husbands allowed), could never socialize with her friends unless they were outside and 8 feet apart, and, of course, a virtual baby shower. A week before her baby was due she was told she could not have her doula with her at the hospital. This was the person she trusted the most and had worked with for months, so a decision was made to deliver at home with a midwife. That seemed slightly safer than a COVID-filled hospital anyway. But after 30 hours of labor, that plan was abandoned. A 25-minute drive to a hospital that would allow her doula to stay with her ended with a C-section several hours later, followed by a too- early discharge 2 days later. These new mothers (and fathers) have had an experience that deserves memorializing. And city dwellers bear an ever greater burden. Is it safe to push the stroller in downtown LA or New York? There can be no childcare until vaccines have been distributed. The cohort of heroic coronial parents are going to have unbelievable tales to bore THEIR children with—the Herculean hoops they jumped through—when the miasma of the virus finally goes poof. And what of the pandemikids? Will this unite them as are millennials and baby boomers? It will be an interesting project for a sociologist in a few decades. But right now, ignorance is bliss and most adults would be happy to have the memory of this year erased forever. Too bad I am not a coronial.
• 2021-01-06

  My Covid-Christmas

  During Christmas of 2020, it was not the usual one, but still a great one. Instead of the usual traditions, of going to my family's house, we had to stay home by ourselves. One way we did meet up with family though, was through the app zoom. We all went up to zoom and talked for an hour or so. We were still able to open gifts with cousins, but outside, socially distanced. I really enjoyed Christmas this year, despite the unusual circumstances.
• 
  2020-07-29

  Australian Health Worker quote on patients

  They have no one else with them. They're scared, they're frightened and it's very difficult. Quote from Female aged 52, Specialist Care Doctor. Image created by the Health Worker Voices project: https://mspgh.unimelb.edu.au/healthworkervoices
• 
  2020-10

  Jewish Melbourne: 'Thoughts on Isolation' by Stan Marks

  Stan Marks, who is 91 years old, reflects on living during the pandemic, and also shares a letter he wrote to share with the students in Year 12 at Brighton Grammar, his old school
• 
  2020-10-19

  Everything is not ok

  This mom has two preschool aged kids. One of them is not even a year old. She’s feeling alone, depressed and overwhelmed. Unfortunately those feeling are not unique to moms of small kids but COVID has heightened them. Social distancing means no daycare for her oldest and no in home help either. She feels alone because she is alone. After I saw her post on ig I got her permission to share her story. I felt like it was so important because every mother has had these days, weeks, months of “bad” feelings. Mental health is not something new moms pay much attention to since they have a new baby (and usually other kids) to care for. Moms are expected to give everything to their children and for their children. Sadly, society hardly ever pours back into these empty moms. This picture shines a light on the realities of motherhood and how COVID has made our lives more difficult.
• 
  09/20/2020

  Andrew Small Oral History, 2020/09/20

  This interview shares the early-on Covid-19 quarantine experience of Andrew Small, a second-year Asian studies major at Northeastern University. Andrew talks about where he was in the middle of March when universities started to shut down and send their students home, where he went, how quarantine and at-home learning affected his first year at Northeastern and touches upon what his reaction to how the state of Maine and how America responded to the pandemic. He also speaks briefly on how he thinks this will affect the future actions of Americans and what the pandemic has revealed about America. This interview was conducted as an assignment for HIST 1215: Origins of Today, instructed by Molly Nebiolo.
• 
  2020-08-21

  A Lone Graduate

  This image was taken of me the day before I moved away from my hometown, and in the middle of a global pandemic, it was the only graduation “celebration” I ever got to have. My graduation was rescheduled countless times because of Covid-19, and in a way, I gave up on the thought of having a true graduation. An in-person ceremony was planned, but cancelled due to a large party thrown by members of my class, which resulted in an outbreak. Though the frown in this picture was not intentional, it sums up the impact that Covid-19 had on my experience as a student in the class of 2020.
• 
  2020-08-08

  Maximo and Lourdes

  I experienced the deaths of two loved ones, between April and May 2020, as a result of Covid-19. They died in the hospitals and no loved ones were present to care for them as they passed. It has been a painful experience for my family and me. We could not honor them after they passed in the ways we are accustomed to. I created this image with their smiling faces; the way I remember them in life. Vibrant and loving beings who are now Angels watching over us all.
• 
  2020

  Funny Videos Made During Quarantine

  This is just a few of the many thousands of humorous videos people made during quarantine. They show animals playing Tic Tak Toe, a woman exploding Coke into her face, a bulldog hating garbage cans, a small dog taking flight with helium balloons. It's encouraging that people have retained their sense of humor during a most difficult time.
• 
  2020

  Man Raises a Glass to Himself Because Day Three of Quarantine

  We are all going crazy in quarantine. This gentleman throws a party with himself as the invited guest. However, he "multiplies" because he has 3 mirrors in his bathroom. So he "works the room" toasting his "guests."
• 2020-05-28

  Be good at cooking

  Before coronaVirus, I never cooked by myself. The virus teaches me to cook by myself.
• 
  2020-05-21

  I will learn to make bread

  Meme image of black type on white background. "My favorite part of quarantine is that we were all forced to be alone with our thoughts for a little bit and everyone was like 'Absolutely not. I will learn to bake bread from scratch.'" #ASU #HST580
• 
  05/06/2020

  Circling

  The students are 6th graders at Colorado Academy, a PreK - 12 independent day school in Denver, Colorado. After departing for Spring Break, and not returning to physical school, the students began Learning From Home and taking classes via Zoom. After 8 days in this “new school” the students wrote reflections on their “new reality." They were given complete freedom to craft any type of statement that tapped into their emotions about the change forced upon them by the Coronavirus pandemic. Please note that neither of these pieces was edited by me or by their parents (they actually had not see them until I asked for permission, and I did not read them until they were turned in to be graded).
• 
  05/07/2020

  Quarantine Blues

  Today I decided to take my sister to preschool. I did this because I was at home and because of the virus she had to miss preschool. Next week is her birthday and there are only a few kids in her class to celebrate. Since she missed preschool, she cannot have her preschool graduation because the kids did not have enough time to learn the songs. Since her final days in preschool are somewhat sabotaged, my mom and I went to get her tons of decorations for her fifth birthday. We went with a unicorn theme because that is what we could find the most decorations for, because of the virus there are not many decorations for things like L.O.L Dolls or My Little Pony. This virus has really impacted my sister’s birthday which means a lot to her as since she is just turning five. She won’t get the cake she wants, her ideal theme had to change because of what is in stock, and she cannot invite any of her friends over for a party. #LSMS #NSD
• 
  2020-05-10

  Mother's day COVID-19 style

  My grandma lives alone and has not gone out since a shelter in place order has been implemented. So for mother's day, some of us gathered in her garage and backyard to spend some time with her. Sadly, we could not hug her or eat lunch indoors with her, but at least we got some time with her face-to-face.
• 
  2020-04-20

  The Great Indoors

  Poem attempting to capture the mood of stay at home orders and social distancing.
• 
  2020-05-04

  COVID-19 from a 19 Year Olds Perspective

  Account of the Covid-19 pandemic from a 19 year old college freshman
• 
  2020-05-03

  Covered in Paint

  Poem about isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-26

  Space

  This image can mean multiple things. As you can see with the model it is floating and is isolated by a simple background. The negative space represents the social isolation and the model is trying to make the best of the situation. #REL101
• 
  2020-03-26

  Solo bike ride lunch in Kinglake, Victoria, Australia

  Instead of organised rides in groups and having lunch etc at a cafe, most road cyclists are riding alone. This photo shows a lunch of muesli bars etc on a solo ride. Not shown is the hand sanitiser used to disinfect the tap used to fill water bottles.
• 
  2020-03-19

  Safeguard the Right of All Laboring People to Have Support During COVID-19 Crisis

  Change.Org petition to Safeguard the Right of All Laboring People to Have Support During COVID-19 Crisis.
• 
  2020-03-24

  Alone in a Hotbed

  As the days pass time becomes abstract. The air has become heavy, its hard to breathe. The nights turn long and sleepless and the stars feel like they're burning out above me. The whole world feels like it's folding in. For some time I have been longing for cooler days but something stops me everytime, Covid-19. Being stuck in my house, which has become my prison, with nothing but my thoughts has driven me to the edge, the edge of sanity. This must end, it must.
• 
  2020-03-17

  Poem

  Poem about the moment, with citations from William Wordsworth, "Ode on Intimations of Immortality," and Luke, 112:48