I would never have gotten the chance to meet any of the people in the group in person.” The friends who met through Animal Crossing In many ways, they say, these newfound friendships would not have been possible if it weren’t for Covid-19.
One thing they had in common: They were all looking for a sense of community, specifically people with whom they share similar interests and hobbies. Vox spoke with several people who forged these “unlikely” digital friendships in recent months. The internet has played a huge role in these virtual connections, offering profound ways for people to link up digitally while abiding by physical social distancing rules - whether that’s meeting new people who also like listening to BTS, playing the same video games through Facebook groups, or boldly reaching out to people on Twitter or Instagram they never thought they’d talk to. I gained some blessing under these circumstances.” Obviously, I never wished for the pandemic to happen, but I do see a silver lining in my life.
“We lost a lot of connections, but we also made some. “The pandemic really showed me the people I really treasure and value in my life,” said Portland, Oregon, resident Maria Lorienes Solis, who found new friends through the online K-pop fandom during the pandemic. But much like dating, people have searched for ways to not only virtually connect with friends and family but also seek community and forge new friendships amid this period of prolonged isolation. Access to office spaces, gyms, bars, and other physical spaces that help facilitate social relationships was gone. So when cities and states across the country imposed social distancing rules to slow the spread of the coronavirus in March, the loneliness phenomenon was confronted with an unconventional challenge. Young people in particular, many of whom lack the intimacy of IRL interactions, reported the highest levels of loneliness. A recently published survey showed that in 2018, loneliness, defined in part as few social interactions and a sense of lacking social support, was at an all-time high among US adults. Before the Covid-19 pandemic and the isolation of lockdown even reached US shores, Americans were lonely.