Items

• 
  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

  Cooking During Quarantine

  As a 14 year old kid during quarantine, I had not much to do. I was separated from my friends and longing for ways to feel free. At times, I even found myself begging to go into school, wanting to go back to the old world. Now, everyday would be the same routine. I would wake up and get on my zoom class, eat, and repeat. Yet soon, I began cooking. I found a way to connect and find myself through the foods I baked with my family. Now, I cook whenever I can.
• 
  2021-10-08

  Lone Star WIN Journal Assignment

  What is similar, different, and changed since 4th grade.
• 
  2020

  Humorous Memes About Quarantine

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredome, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020-10-05

  Silver Linings

  The past year was a very hectic one. Many things changed over 2020 and overall it was a whirlwind of a year. While there are many bad things to point out about it there are some silver linings too. Due to the coronavirus, we had to quarantine for a while. This forced me to spend a lot of time with my family, but I am very thankful for this now. My brothers are 4 and 1, but I am 14. This means that in 4 ½ years when I leave for college they are going to be 5 and 9, so I need to spend as much time with them as possible before I leave and start a new life away from them. 2020 showed me how important family really is and I will no longer take it for granted. Another silver lining of 2020 was learning that I have a love for baking. When quarantine started in March I would be extremely bored because I had to stay home. I was tired of staring at a screen for so long, so I knew I had to find something to do. This is how I stumbled upon baking. I made sugar cookies for my family one time and I knew I had to continue baking. I fell in love with it. Now I use it to help me calm myself. Being in control of everything I’m doing makes me feel grounded, so even when I’m stressed about something going on in my life, baking makes me feel in control so that I can handle the situation correctly. From the outside 2020 might have been bad, but if you look for the silver linings you realize it might’ve been just the year you needed.
• 
  2021-04-23

  Bored People Care More

  The pandemic created a rift among people. Everyone’s lives were up hauled and not many people found themselves living the life they didn’t think they were going to live. People have been getting sick, people have been dying, and the negativity this plague has brought has only multiplied in society. I believe one of the main issues for the negativity, hate, and chaos we’ve seen in the country this past year is because people are bored. Not just bored and wondering what to do this afternoon during the plague, but the kind of bored that results when that thought repeats itself every day for months on end. And with nothing better to do, and no hope to be found, people start to look for something believe in. Everyone has become more hard-set on their beliefs, and voices have gotten exponentially louder. Left-leaning people find community in the fight for justice and equality. The protests and rallies have been bigger. Without much else in life going on to care about, people can care more about the overall issues they believe matter. Right-wingers found themselves deep in the fan club of President Trump. Their voices got louder, more arguments and fights began to break out among people. The election was a bigger deal with a bigger turn out than the nation has ever seen. The country felt very divided, yet at the same time, people were coming together more than we’ve ever seen. With the pandemic came a wave of loneliness among many people, attributing to why so many have so comfortable found their place in the political group they believe in. It’s a community in public life when there’s no public life to really find a community in during a pandemic. The issues of gender, race and power have all been largely argued over as a result of this newfound divide. Overall, I believe the country can be better off now that the pandemic has focused people on such societal issues, as getting people to care and getting people to make a stand is the way to make change happen. And then on the religious side of things, many religions have found a deeper sense of community as people come together in hopes of connecting and caring throughout the plague. These voices prove to be heard, too, usually coming from the right-wing side of the divide, complicating the progressive movements that left-wingers campaign for, movements which ordinarily would be understood as in accordance with the faith and ideals of many religions. 
 This results in a lot of complicatedness, arguments among people, and chaos in the country. It’s a difficult time, but it’s a time of growth for everyone. For everyone in the public sphere to figure out what they believe in, and hear the voices of others. After the pandemic is over, and many people have gone back to caring about other things in life, maybe people will evolve their ideals with an open mind and open the nation to more active discourse and change going forward.
• 
  2021-02-13

  I Am Bored AF

  Bored AF... #covidart #covid_19 #covid #coronaart #pandemiclife #urbanart #pandemicart
• 2021-02-12

  Pandemic Brand Reviews: Starbucks

  During the pandemic, I have noticed that my local Starbucks drive-thru lines are still long, maybe even longer than before. Even during odd hours, like 5-6pm, when people are usually eating dinner. This has been happening even before companies stopped doing work from home. I wonder if some of the people in the lines are bored teenagers like me who just want something to do, and maybe a little social interaction. It could also have to do with TikTok, where people share their favorite Starbucks orders. It seems like every week there is a new Starbucks trend that people have to try. It is interesting to see how the pandemic has affected consumer behavior.
• 2020-02-05

  .

  One of my dads friends that we were with tested positive for corona. Thankfully, my family and I never ended up getting it. We had to stay home for two weeks, and miss a bunch of activities. I got bored really easily and it wasn't enjoyable. I am glad its over.
• 2021-01-15

  My Virtual Experience

  During COVID-19 my school participated in virtual learning. It was not a very great experience considering we had to sit at our computers all day. I became so bored that I started downloading games on my phone and sometimes would beat them before school ended. All I could describe it as would be boring. It was the same thing over and over and it started to feel robotic. It was like an inescapable prison. Day after day of the same thing over and over I just couldn't take it. Eventually I started to realize that the pandemic was becoming more and more political based and I Realized it wouldn't end anytime soon.
• 2021-01-14

  COVID-19: Virtual Learning

  School was one of the many things that came as a halt during COVID-19. At first, we all thought that COVID-19 would be a nice 2 week vacation. I thought that it would be an escape. However after hundreds of days on zooms, things began to be too boring. 8I would wake up at 7:59 sharp. Exactly one minute before class. Without brushing my har or washing my face I quickly opened my laptop which was on my brand new white desk that I added to my room in order to do zooms. Often times my wifi would go out and in and my family would yell as we glitched out of our period. Then I had a break and I would eat a breakfast of a microwavable frozen Costco sandwich. Then I would go to period 2 and begin my next zoom, then another. Then it was lunch and I would be starving during the long day of staring blankly at a computer screen. Finally I had period 4. Although often difficult, online school did have its' benefits. It was nice to be able to do school from the comfort of my own desk (sometimes bed), sleep in later, and eat during class. But it was very difficult to focus.
• 2021-01-14

  Virtual learning

  Online school, it was terrible. It is the worst way to do school. It may sound good, you don’t have to wake up, sleep in, and chill. But with that comes a price. You were not engaged in class and you felt numb to homework or getting bad grades. It was so boring and miserable that I didn’t care what was assigned, what my grades where, or about the final. It was so bad and I think it was a tool to cancel our opinions and voice. Cancel culture is what this whole COVID thing is.
• 2020-02-01

  A Description of my Experiences While Learning Virtually

  Things started out O.K., but band was a mess, and classes seemed very boring. I usually got up around my usual 6:00 a.m., but I didn't make my lunch as I used to, because I didn't need to. I then would practice piano, and then I would have an hour to do nothing, unless I had Jazz Lab, then it would be more like 30 minutes. School itself wasn't all that different, sine the only thing that changed was that it was a block schedule and that almost everything was online. The homework load decreased significantly, there were almost no group projects. They changed the Wednesday schedule a few times, but I got used to those pretty quickly. After a while, I kind of felt like there was no schedule at all. Once we got to go to campus to do remote learning, things felt more normal which was really nice.
• 2021-01-14

  Remote Learning

  When I first started online school in march I thought we would be off-campus for 3 or 4 weeks, and then we would go back. I didn't know much about covid-19, so though I would still be able to see my friends. We had plans to do online school at each other's house, and hang out all the time. We went into a state-wide lockdown 2 days after and I wasn't allowed to go anywhere or hang out with anyone. It was fun at first, we watched shows, we did puzzles, we cooked a lot. But once we hit late may and I still hadn't seen my friends, I was getting really sad. As for online school. I thought it was nice because I didn't have to get up so early. The first week or so, we got up I got dressed, I did my hair, but they somewhere along the way. I rolled out of bed, still in my pajamas, and turned my video off. During classes, I was always so bored because school wasn't really interesting because we weren't learning as much. I was fine with online it was just the fact that I wasn't eating lunch with my friends anymore, or that I couldn't talk to them during passing periods, but I did love being able to eat in class or getting a snack whenever I wanted. It was also hard in the fact you couldn't really get one on one help with the teacher.
• 2020-12-09

  How covid affected my life

  At the beginning of quarantine I didn't really take the virus serious.I thought school was only going to close for 2 weeks but its about to be a year since i been to school. Theres really nothing to do out and most places are closed.Theres also not alot of places we can travel to so life has been boring.Most malls are closed so shopping has been hard.Wearing masks all day makes me feel dizzy and makes it hard to breathe.It seems like like any common cold you get is covid.Its hard to do anything without thinking about contracting covid.I also feel like the gorverment is not really telling us the truth which is causing more anxiety and stress on some people.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Somewhere To Be

  After restrictions in England were eased and we were allowed some freedom over summer, my mates and I would go to different beauty spots around Dorset and Hampshire since everything else was closed or not worth dealing with. We discovered many places, including Ogdens where this was taken. We all got into the habit of smoking too much cannabis so we’d often go to these places with beach chairs to sit in the wild and get high because what else was there to do?
• 
  2020-09-24

  Interview by Juilee Decker and Dr. Fayth Vaughn-Shavuo of the PEACE Program

  P.E.A.C.E. is an acronym for Partnerships in Education to Avoid Criminal Justice System Entry. The P.E.A.C.E. Afterschool Program, Inc., operates a year-round program consisting of an after school program where children are provided with free homework assistance, social/character development, academic enrichment and community service projects. Ongoing workshops engage cognitive skills that enable the students to say no to gangs. The program is spearheaded by Dr. Fayth Vaughn-Shavuo who sat down with us, and invited 5—which grew to 8!---children to tell their stories. Of particular interest is the words that the children used to talk about COVID. Warren felt it has been boring; Kaymauri was sad that she had to social distance while Fatamata was sad in the beginning of COVID, but is now kind of happy; Jahcai didn’t like that in school there is no more sharing of items/materials; Daniel mentioned being worried and also spending time watching YouTube and eating marshmallows. Jayvien mentioned having to survive and to be careful but not being able to feel anything. Ivrhim felt scared at the beginning of COVID but feels safe now, while Joshua feels annoyed and angry about COVID. Some bright spots: Kaymauri learned how to beat box! In the final interview, Dr. V mentioned the ways in which differences and inequities have been exacerbated by COVID, particularly the dependency upon internet and need to have access for children and everyone in a household. This is particularly a challenge in government housing and situations where there is only 1 device with a parent. Anyone interested in learning more about PEACE, can visit their website: https://www.peaceafterschoolprogram.org/
• 2020-08-10

  The Boys

  Over the beginning of the pandemic, many people were feeling bored and hopeless and felt like there was not much meaning to anything anymore. Then when we realized the pandemic was not serious I was asked to hang out with a few of my closest friends and a few I didn't know as well. The feeling of having such a great time just being normal and hanging out with good people in the pandemic just made me happy and feel warm inside. The feeling of true laughter and joy, which I haven't felt for a while meant the world to me. We hung out all summer with Us 10 or 11 almost every day and I believe it helped all of us through the pandemic and made our lives better and hopefully created some lifetime bonds that we won't lose. Just the feeling of being a part of something and something that made you happy during the pandemic is the best feeling you can create.
• 
  09/18/2020

  Isabelle Cincera Oral History, 2020/09/18

  This interview is about Isabelle Cincera and the affects the pandemic had on her life as a high school senior. The interview discusses the impacts such as online school and her social life. Isabelle demonstrates a great example of how Covid-19 directly affected the life of a student.
• 2020-09-18

  A Time of Uncertainty

  During the school year prior to the virus, I attended a university that did not meet my expectations. I stayed in my room almost every night and only went to classes. It was not the college experience I had expected and was promised. When the outbreak started to hit the news in March, I was hoping my university would go to all online learning, so I could be home with my family and friends. At first, I thought this was going to be the best outcome, but I did not know how much of an impact the virus would have and still has. The lockdown ended up being exactly how it was at school; there was no seeing my friends and extended family. I spent most of my time in my room and on my phone constantly. My classes were boring and I lost even more interest in school. I had hoped that the virus would fade out so I could begin my new journey at a new school, but the virus had other plans. I am now doing classes remotely from home instead of on campus. Although I have more interest in this school and courses, but the online learning is not the same as in-person classes. I feel everyone is struggling to keep their motivation up and I cannot imagine what the grades below me are experiencing. The virus has taken a toll on most likely everyone's mental health. It is a time of uncertainty, which takes away our sense of security. The only thing we can do to keep moving forward is to think positively and be grateful for the small things in life. Although the virus has taken so much from us, we have been forced to take a step back from our daily lives. I have been gifted spending quality time with my family and finding new hobbies that interest me. My confidence in myself and my relationships with others have increased. The world my never be the same as it was, but we cannot let this stop us from moving forward into the future.
• 2020-07-26

  New Hobbies

  One I heard we were going to be stuck at home for a while I thought “This gives me the chance to do something I’ve always wanted to do.” That thing is working out. I was never one to be active before, much less working out, but I pushed myself. I looked up some good workouts and I eventually got an app that helps me out with everything. Me doing that made me sleep better and even feel better. This really gave me something to do instead of being bored all day.
• 2020-08-08

  Screen Time During the Pandemic

  In quarantine I haven’t had much to do, so the majority of the time I spend on my phone, watching videos, playing games, watching shows on Netflix, or just texting/calling my friends to keep in touch. I think this says a lot about how the pandemic has affected my personal life and my activities. Whereas I used to go out to eat with friends and family or just meet up at someone’s house, or the park to hang out. I cannot do these things anymore so instead I pass the time on my phone.
• 
  2020-06-12

  zanders covid

  during the pandemic whne there is nothing to do during the day i would just practice soccer. such as footwork, and control, new moves. because the turf was shut down for a while so you just had to do it at home. there was nothing else to do.
• 2020-08-18

  Covid 19

  nothing is happening. i'm bored. we're already back in school. can the virus come back plz.
• 
  2020-07-27

  Vacation during Covid-19

  My friend Ramsey and I went to Florida during the Corona Virus and we had to wear masks everywhere we went, even on the airplane.
• 2020-04-09

  In quarantine I watched Greys Anatomy and finshed all 16 seasons.

  This shows that we all had a lot of time during the quarantine.
• 2020-08-04

  Gamer Hours

  I have been playing copious amounts of video games during quarantine.
• 
  2020-04-07

  Coronacles of Sophia Michela Di Giacomo age 12

  The journal speaks about different challenges that many people, including myself, have been experiencing over the duration the the COVID-19 pandemic. This journal may become beneficial for historical research in the future, hence why it has been submitted.
• 
  2020-03-16

  All Set With Nothing to Do

  This is a humorous statement about the facts of life during quarantine, especially during the beginning phase. Many of us couldn’t work, we couldn’t go out—the “non-essential” stores, movie theaters, malls, restaurants, and bars were all closed, so there was nowhere to go anyway. This is funny because the author was very well-rested and all set to take on the day, but there was really no day to “take on.” He or she expresses our quandary well. We’re up, ready to go, but there is nowhere to go and nothing to do.
• 
  2020-05-13

  introspective pattern

  i locked myself at home for about 10 days and i was boring as sheit, i grap a pen near me and then records my feelings through my skin
• 2020-06-01

  Pandemic

  Staying at home locked up is very odd. It takes a toll on your mental health because you are not able to see your friends or anyone outside your immediate family. It is hard to connect with others and you will see the other side of most people's personalities. Letting yourself be who you are is very important. Taking time to do what you love (if possible) is a great way to let out steam. Workouts and staying fit as well as movies and video games are good ways to spend time. The pandemic of 2020 will always be remembered, likely not fondly.
• 
  2020-05-31

  quarantined life

  Just like the majority of students out there, I did not like school, it was stressful, there was homework, tests, grades and etc. School wasn't something I looked forward to, now that doesn't mean that all of my experience at school was bad, because it wasn't, there were good moments. I never really thought of school as a privilege, it was just something I had to go to everyday. It was my daily routine, so once school was canceled due to the Coronavirus, everything changed. I went from waking up everyday at 7 am to staying home all day. It was a crazy change, I never knew how much school impacted my day, keeping me occupied with school activities or just simply interacting with other people. Now with school being cancelled, not only is learning the material given by teachers much harder, something that kept me occupied for 7 hours out of my day is now gone.
• 2020-05-09

  Nothing to do

  A personal account of the pandemic.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Blindsided Change

  Everything is different now. Who would have imagined? If I or anyone I know was told in the fall of 2019 that in the start of year 2020 there would be a world pandemic that placed most of the world on lockdown, we most likely would have laughed or scoffed. We would have thought it impossible. And yet it happened. And it happened quickly, dawning a new decade with an event that will most likely damage societies. What a way to start a decade. Here is to 2020. May the middle and the end be more fortuitous than it’s destructive beginning. Everyone is in quarantine within their homes in hopes of preventing the spread of the new corona virus. A subtle virus that nobody would have expected to cause a worldwide emergency. After all, there are many diseases and viruses that appear to be worse than Covid-19 such as SARS. However that’s the danger, it is so subtle and contagious, it spread from China to the United States of America in a number of weeks. There is an estimated 800,000 confirmed cases of the virus with the States. Who knows if that number is accurate. It may be larger. It may be smaller. The world has changed in a matter of weeks. People rarely go out to areas where they are likely to encounter other people. If they do dare to venture outside, it is often with a face mask, disposable gloves, and hand sanitizer. Business has never been better for Amazon as people flock to their website in order to avoid having to go to the grocery store. Netflix is probably being used more now than anytime before. Schools have shut down and transferred online, many using Zoom as their platform of communication. Most people are stocking up on supplies. My father went to the gun store and said he had never seen the place busier. Toilet paper has become a valuable commodity. There have been more people on walks in my neighborhood than ever. All trying to escape the boredom and the feeling of wasting from remaining still. My sister and I have been placed on quarantine about two weeks before everyone else. I don’t believe I have had a physical interaction that was not digital with another person besides my family in 2 or 3 months. The only place that I have been to besides my house is the National Forest in Flagstaff, Arizona where I am allowed to go for hikes for miles. It is beautifully refreshing in comparison to the same color of wall wherever you turn. I’m allowed to take my truck out for a drive as long as the only destination is my house. I like to drive with the windows down on the highway and be reminded of the movement of nature that is absent in my daily circumstance. It is interesting how affected people become by fear and paranoia. I was driving through the neighborhood when I saw a couple walking. I waved as any friendly person would. The couple glared at me as if I was a threat. As if I would somehow give them the virus while contained in my car on the other side of the street. I found this behavior odd. But then this odd behavior occurred on several other occasions during my drives. I fear what this virus will do to our country. It has already changed our daily lives. I would hate for the coronavirus to turn America into a country where friendliness is unwelcome.
• 
  2020-04-10

  Moonrise

  Experimenting with filters to take images of the supermoon rising over the McDowells. I am colossally bored and find distraction in nature.
• 
  2020-03-18

  Celebrities be like

  shows the inequality between celebrities and the average person, as celebrities were trying to relate to them
• 
  2020-03

  Long month

  March was the first month of quarantine, so people felt like march was a long month due to isolation
• 
  2020-04

  Quarantine activities

  meme showing that people were having bad impulse control with nothing to do in quarantine
• 
  2020-03-23

  FloSoftball

  The image is a college softball player that ran into the wall after going after a ball. The meme part of the tweet is a dialog friend: how's quarantine going? me: good I just stare at my wall. This tells us that student-athletes are bored being at home because of the pandemic.