issue 12// vol 47 opinions // no. 21 Lockdown fatigue » Is it possible to be tired of sitting at home? Matthew Fraser Opinions Editor O n November 7, the BC government announced new lockdown measures—ones that guarantee a long, cold, and lonely winter for some. The news has clearly shown that cases have reason since the beginning of fall and truth be told, it had already been predicted that a second wave would occur; yet now that we're here, I have to admit that I am tired of the lockdown. lam over sitting at home—and I’m sure some of you are too. I am bored of the view inside, the same four walls, and I am certainly tired of online school. At the start when a few people (predominately in the US) were freaking out over the lockdowns I looked at them with contempt. I thought that they were making a mountain out of a mole hill and that good advice should be well heeded in those uncertain early days. But all things change with time and as one month became three, then five, and now more with no guaranteed end in sight, it makes more sense to me. Suddenly, the image of someone holding a sign demanding to go to a restaurant or travelling to see friends makes all the more sense. Granted, we can and | have gone out to eat and seen friends (I feel your judgement as | write this and I do not care) since this all began, but knowing that that could be impossible in the near future is disheartening. Likewise, a third consecutive semester of online learning is in no way tantalizing and in every way unappealing. I certainly know and understand that many people are thriving in this stay-at-home, self-paced atmosphere—and for those people, I wish you the option to continue. But for me, a plexiglass cubicle with a real professor would be better than another three months of this. The very act of going to school was motivating or at least a necessary step in my daily learning routine. As the days go by, and my chair dies from the hundreds of accumulated hours of being sat on, schoolwork that may have previously been a brain exercise becomes an efficient method of drying out my eyeballs. Soon, it will be Christmas and travel will likely still be cancelled. Though I grudgingly understand the need to limit the spread as case numbers climb and climb, I can’t help but detest the way family has been put to the side or moved to the back burner. Maybe in next few weeks as we all bunker down tighter than before, the government will reward us with un-shamed travel and socially-distanced ferry rides, but I doubt it. This year will be the year of a thousand and one orphan Christmases and Zoom present openings. I guess a little bit of sadness goes well with your rumnog. Don't get me wrong, this isn’t a “woe is me” pity party (though I see how you might think so), just a short accounting of the fatiguing nature of a never-ending lockdown. Photo by Billy Bui Social media deprives us from genuine authentic connection Photo by Arnaldo Fragozo » Instead of sending a reaction, call your friend Alexis Zygan Contributor So media is viewed by many as the most significant advancement for communication. During the pandemic, the masses depend on social networks more than ever to stay connected with their communities. Musicians organize online concerts through Facebook, and small business owners build relationships through Instagram. Family members across the globe comment on status updates to stay up to date on each other's lives. While all of this is true, one cannot speak on the benefits of connection without addressing the elephant in the room. Chronic social media usage correlates with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The average millennial dedicates 2 hours and 24 minutes of each day to engage in the personalized highlight reel, divided between nine different social media accounts. Even though the user acknowledges that not everyone on social media is living their best life at any given moment, their feed presents them with this illusion. Add photo editing into the equation and what results is a disaster for self-image and worth. The feedback users receive in the form of likes, comments, and reactions spark dopamine receptors in the brain. The number of likes equates to a social currency, which makes the person appear more worthy. Unfortunately, this happiness is always short- lived, and users must log back in to get immersed in the validation seeking feedback loop. Social media has users living their lives for others and not themselves—taking photos of their meals, outfits, and vacations with the hopes of blurring the perception others have of them. Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix released The Social Dilemma, a documentary outlining a few of the issues set in motion by social media. Through first-hand accounts from former visionaries of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, the viewer learns how the people in contro] manipulate their content. They uncover that the social media user’s information is the product being sold to companies to create highly personalized targeted ads—all tied into the economy of attention. The results are in—the benefits of social media do not outweigh the negatives. Staying connected is essential to human existence. There are ways to access our friends and family and support local businesses without signing up for a social media account. Talking on the phone strengthens connections in relationships. Staying off social media is a devil of a challenge though. A dopamine detox culminates in withdrawal symptoms—FOMO, the fear of missing out, and phantom vibration syndrome, where a person hears buzzing when there is none. Lastly, the performance required to keep up appearances on social media is draining and divorces the user from authenticity—a real genuine connection is insurmountable through Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. The cornerstone of relationships is openness, vulnerability, and a lack of judgement. So, next time youre thinking of a friend, instead of contacting through messenger, send them a text to check in, or email them your favourite meme. Or if you have five minutes to spare, a phone call goes a long way. Hearing a friend’s voice is a better remedy for loneliness than a row of heart emojis.