12 July 2020

Social media during the Covid-19 lockdown

The only way to stay connected post the first lockdown, and social distancing, was via social media viz. whatsapp, twitter, facebook, Instagram etc.

I was trying to recall what all transpired on all these media in the past 4 months - I am on 2 family, 2 college, 2 alumni school, 3 office, 1 school (daughter's) and 1 society whatsapp groups.


School group-

>> Is the school open tomorrow? No, they declared holidays till Fri. Summer vacation begins Mon.

Family group 1-

>> Covid-19 spread from China because someone ate an infected bat. This had been known years ago, even a Hollywood movie was made about it!

Family group 2 -

>> Importance of sanitizers, soap, hand washing, masks

Family group 3 -

>> Video of car exploding because the driver sanitized hands with sanitizer before starting the ignition

>> Salt water gargling, steam, tulsi tea, neti, Coronil, Arsenic album, Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, Becozinc, Vitamin C, garlic, ginger, turmeric for immunity boosting


Office group - 

>> This is all planned as a bio-war by China. They want to kill the US economy. Is there a WFH for us? How long is it for?

>> Business continuity planning(BCP), crisis management team (CMT) established


>> They should continue with the board exams, its so unfair, kids have been studying all year


Friend group -

>> US and UK friends have seen the peak already. Full of advice for their India friends. Videos of folks stranded outside India on how they are surviving

Society group -

>> Instructions for lockdown, do not go out without masks. Instructions for milk, paper distribution, parcel receipt, vegetable vendor availability etc.

>> I am ordering mangoes in bulk, let me know who all wants to order. The person is a friend, hygiene is taken care of


 >> Are you paying the maids?


Twitter - 

>> Discussions on how the disease spread in all the countries. How lax US, UK and Italy were in containing it and how well China curbed it.

>> How irresponsible of the MP, and Kanika, to attend/host parties after traveling back from abroad? They managed to infect so many?


>> How irresponsible to assemble in large numbers at mosques, churches, temples? Close down all the religious places


>> Modiji addressed the nation so well. Felt so good to complete the pay-tribute-to-doctors and light-a-candle  tasks. The day and time was chosen inline with astrology too. We are in safe hands.


Facebook - 

>> Dalgona Coffee, Sari challenge, travel pic challenge, recipe challenge,

>> Books, Netflix, Doordarshan recommendations, discussions, reviews


>> How to do eyebrows at home, easy haircut and coloring


Instagram

>> Pics of self made food, kitchen garden, nostalgic travel, family pics, sky, rains, scenery captured from behind closed doors

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>> Online classes to begin from Mon, Have you installed MS Teams? How do I login?

>> Puzzles, games, apps


>> Mango van stopped due to intercity commute blockage. Mangoes delayed by a week.


>> Containment zones, color coding of areas, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad are the worst! How are you guys coping? We are leaving for our hometowns - you take care


>> Online classes for yoga, meditation, kathak, bharat natyam, chess, music, drawing, sketching, Japanese, coding


>> YouTube recipe channels by friends, family and sundry acquaintances


>> Are you still paying the maids?


>> Please do not chat in private groups, kids!


>> How to sanitize groceries, parcels, clothes


>> Anyone have a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle?


>> Lets meet on Zoom over the weekend. Please ensure that elders are on video too.


>> How do I set up PayTm, G-Pay, mobile banking on my phone?


>> Watch parties - storytelling, music, talent, yoga, spiritual talks


>> Are you still paying the maids? 


>> Endless webinars on reviving economy, upskilling in latest skills, emotional well being


>> Baking a cake is a MUST else pandemic will not end


>> Brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners, robotic cleaners, dishwashers in demand


>> No newspapers, no maids/drivers, no sweepers allowed. You have to dump your trash at the pre-destined location, collect milk at the main gate


>> WFH extended by another month. Oh, I miss my office, when can I go to office? I miss my office chair


>> I miss the school and my classmates. Its hard to follow what the teacher is saying, many times someone mutes her


>> Did the Italians go through all this too ? Boy, did the Americans mess up big time.


>> I am ordering fruits, vegetables, grocery boxes, dairy and bakery items. Interested folks, please DM me.


>> Unlock 1 : Let the maids, sweepers come. We cannot cope anymore. We want to order food.


>> Will the schools be reducing fee for this year? Transportation, facilities and cafeteria fees should be pardoned for sure. 


>> Lets install sanitization booths, temperature guns and enforce masks. Let us restrict visitors though.


>> I am having network issues, ma'am. Can you repeat?


>> Travel passes between cities, OTP for visitors


>> Elaborate sketches, coloring, photography - what art!


>> xyz maid was not wearing mask today. Please ensure your maids wear masks.


>> WFH extended one more time. Horrible pain in neck and back.


>> Those poor migrant workers. The government should have thought about them


>> Cyclones, floods, locusts


>> How to recognize early symptoms?


>> George Floyd, racism, black lives matter


>> Power cut at my place, cannot come online


>> Anyone needs anything from Nature's basket? I am stopping by today.


>> Are you happy with these online classes? I am not too sure. 


>> Are you allowing your maid to knead the dough? I do it myself and when she is in kitchen, all of us withdraw into the bedroom


>> Riots everywhere, film stars dying or committing suicide, celebrities testing Covid-19 positive


>> Nature is thriving, dolphins observed in Venice lake, flamingoes in Navi Mumbai, wild animals take to the deserted roads in North India


>> Cases are rising, these police and politicians are corrupt


>> Real numbers of Covid test not being revealed.


>> Flights and trains are running, people are traveling, parlors are open finally


>> Migrant workers are the reason the disease is spreading everywhere.


>> How to make attractive yet practical masks?


>> Mental health awareness, clinical depression, are you talking to your loved ones often?


>> Work, work, work


>> Started home catering business. Here is the brochure, taking orders from tomorrow


>> Bored, bored, bored


>> Started counseling from home. Call me for any issues you have


>> We have all sinned, collective karma caught up. Pray, pray, pray


>> Eat, eat, eat


>> Our next door neighbor tested +ve. Oh is it? Lets not go out into the lobby.


>> So many died of Covid - it will happen to all of us one day.


>> Lets ban all Chinese goods, delete Chinese apps and stop eating Chinese food


>> Silence, silence, silence; ignore, ignore, delete.


And so it goes on. Life continues on its roller coaster, uncertain path.

1 comment:

Vikas Shirodkar said...

Nice Good irreverent view of the challenge before us

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