We have been in quarantine for almost seven months. A break that was supposed to last two weeks turned into a seven-month long “staycation”. Most of us haven’t seen or hung out with our friends since school closed, and we probably all miss our friends a lot. Many of us were supposed to travel over the summer to visit family and friends, but most likely did not travel due to the coronavirus. Over the course of quarantine, many have struggled to stay connected with their friends and family. A countless number of people have lost touch with their closest friends, and many of us can’t wait to see our friends again. Here’s how AHS students have been staying connected. 

Many students use apps like Facetime or other similar apps to video call with their friends. This allows students to talk and converse with their friends and catch up on overdue conversations. 

“I use Facetime all the time. I do homework with my friends on facetime. My friends and I also play games on facetime sometimes,” said sophomore Melanie Borrayo. 

Students also tend to text or Snapchat their friends to converse with them. Many students play games with their friends. Various games help students stay connected with their friends and family and multiple people have started hosting “virtual hangouts” on such games. Games that have gained popularity during quarantine include “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”, multiple Roblox games, “Among Us”, and online versions of popular board or card games such as Uno. 

Netflix Party and other extensions that allow multiple people to watch the same show, movie, or YouTube videos simultaneously have also gained popularity and many use it to keep friendships alive or have fun with their friends. Students use these extensions to watch different forms of media to create conversation or to just hang out with friends and family.

In conclusion, students have been using multiple forms of social media to stay connected with friends and family. Using extensions such as Netflix Party or playing games with friends helps people feel like there is still some normalcy present in life and that not everything has been going downhill. Staying connected with the people you love is always important, especially during times like these.

Graphic courtesy of THEATLANTIC.COM