COVID-19: Make Sure You're Connected

A lonely vapour trail

This morning I received a message from a friend in the UK - inviting me to drinks in their mum's kitchen, due to the fact that the country was closing all pubs and clubs, disrupting usual Friday night plans. It was a Zoom invitation, and I joined in. Due to the wonders of technology I could see friends on the other side of the world and I shared a drink with them (tea for me as it was 8am, my time). They had a beer or a wine and we all shared stories and a laugh while checking in on one another, with lots of support, and a healthy dose of ridicule; we're all originally British after, all. There were ten of us on-line, and it felt like old times.  

But these are modern times. As we cannot make physical contact with others, it is still really important to connect and chat - naturally there will be conversations about the virus, but there should also be talk of family events, books read, scents smelled... we need reality in our virtual lives. There are of course, many platforms we can use to stay connected, but many of us have been using Zoom for work meetings and conferences for some time; this step is just the natural progression for more casual communication. 

According to the New York Times, last week 600,000 people downloaded the app, its biggest day ever. While the stock market crashes, Zoom shares have soared this year, valuing the company at $29 billion. That's more than airline companies, even before they were grounded. We had planned a holiday to the UK and France in July - it certainly doesn't look like that will be happening now, as international travel is cancelled until further notice. 

I am sad, because I was looking forward to seeing my family and friends. I still can. Obviously it's not the same as having them in the room, but technology is very powerful if we use it for good. We are fortunate to live in these times. There is a silver lining. Let's stay connected. 

"If you make sure you're connected
The writing's on the wall
But if your mind's neglected,
Stumble you might fall." - Stereo MCs