The Good of Social Media During Staying Home. I mean: Quarantine.
If you are like me, you are stuck at home. The way in which we did things has changed and we are doing out best to adapt. If you are also like me, you are working from home and that can make this situation worse because we are missing our co-workers and our daily interaction. We are doing our best to accommodate and to stay sane in this change. One way that I have found that has helped me a lot, is social media.
I love to read and with that I read almost everything. Most of what I read comes from my phone, the articles that are shared around on social media. One particular article sparked my reason for this one. The writer made a claim that in order to survive this pandemic and quarantine, you have to be rich. They mention and call out certain celebrities who are not “suffering,” like the rest of us. I thought to myself, not only is that a bold claim, but it is false.
When I leave my at home “office,” and I finally have a few minutes to myself, I like to go to my social media and see what my family and friends are doing. I also like to view the stories of the celebrities I follow. Am I looking at Jeffery Star’s mansion and thinking, “He doesn’t get it. He isn’t suffering like I am, in my 400 square foot studio apartment?” No. He starts every story with, “Hi. How are ya?” Genuinely asking how we are doing. He speaks in real time, and his stories provide me a break, an escape from these four walls. PS. I also love his dogs.
Do I look at Heather Dubrow’s (former Real Housewives of Orange County), “Date night at home,” in her lavish dinning room with a wine bottle wall and go, “They have no idea how hard this is for the ‘regular’ people who can’t go to their favorite restaurant right now.” No, I don’t. It’s very easy to slip into a negative mind set and right now we can’t do that.
Other celebrities also use their social media to provide a sense of comfort. I watch Kelly Clarkson sing daily covers from a bathroom, and not a massive bathroom either; it’s a regular home sized bathroom. Country music artists go live from their at home studios and take requests from fans.
Here are some celebrities that have helped me, and maybe they can help you too. I follow these celebrities on Instagram and that is where I find the most content.
Alyson Stoner- does a live meditation where she helps you breath and take inventory of your self and how you are doing through all of this. This is at the top of my list because I have done it, and it helps tremendously.
Ellen- does a video every single day. She is in real time, wearing a sweat suit, calling somebody, doing a puzzle, the same things we might be doing.
Chef Michael Symon @chefsymon- goes live throughout the day with cooking tips, tricks and recipes from items we might currently have at home.
Candace Cameron Bure- does a live workout with you to help us stay fit.
For King and Country- are doing a live concert from their backyard.
Whiskey Jam- goes live almost every night from their kitchen table and with an artist from the artist’s home.
LadBaby (a British dad, hacking: “the toilet paper situation,” “a virus protection suit,” “self isolation with kids,” etc,) he did videos before this, but the comedy here is super funny.
Craig Morgan- going live from the loft of his barn.
Brad Paisley and Keith Urban- I watched them all live from their homes.
There are many, many others who are also trying to lighten the mood and provide us distractions. Yes, they are quarantined in better places that 400 square feet, but they are bringing a bit of happiness in a time of uncertainty. They are trying to bring us peace, and they are doing what they love to do and sharing it like they would in general. Yes, they may be richer than us. Yes, they may have a bank account where they don’t have to worry about bills for the next month even though their show stopped production, but that’s not the issue. We would still watch them going live, even if there wasn’t a mass pandemic or we weren’t choosing to stay home.
Instead of getting jealous and upset that these celebrities are quarantining in places that look like a vacation to us, we can be grateful for our social media platforms and that we are able to connect to others like we never have before.
Let’s remember: Anne Frank. She was quarantined in the secret annex for 25 months and had to lay on her bed for nine hours every work day. She also didn’t have an electronic device with wifi to view the “pop stars” she pinned up on her wall.
Our own situation can be a good experience if we allow it to. It’s all in how we look at it. We can either laugh or cry: we choose. I choose to view the celebrities I follow, and find some good in what they are saying or doing. I choose to find the good in their messages, and to remember that I am not alone in this. This is effecting the whole world, not just me.
Remember: STAY HOME if you are able.
