BY WENDY ZHANG
This is week three of self-isolation at home, and I found myself spending more and more time in front of my screens, big and small. Nearly all of my work, exercise, entertainment, and social activities revolve around staring at a screen. I exercise through YouTube videos in the morning, have Zoom lessons with my music students in the afternoon, FaceTime my friends and family, order food and delivery online, read books on Kindle, and stream movies and concerts at night.
Oh, and did I forget to mention obsessively checking news and social media throughout the day? I am pretty much glued to my screens from the moment I wake up to the time I go to bed.
Our generation was fairly attached to our devices even before this challenging time, but the coronavirus pushed our addiction and dependence to a whole new level. The capability of online technology is both great and scary at the same time; great because it enables us to fulfil part if not all of our social, physical, and emotional needs from indoors. Some of us are fortunate enough to work remotely and get paid without leaving our homes.
In some ways, it reminds me of the dystopic scene in WALL-E, where people in the 29th Century have holographic screens floating permanently in front of them. They can order anything they want and video-chat people at a click of a button. They’re extremely isolated as there are no families, couples, or friends – only blob-like individuals interacting with their screens.
I remembered laughing when I saw this scene: how can humans sit all day long and only interact with a screen? It’s turned into a reality in the year 2020, as we are forced into a digitally driven self-isolation, unable to go out for most of our waking hours.
But the question we must ask ourselves is this: when the coronavirus is over and we are no longer in self-isolation, will our addiction to and reliance on screens and technology simply go away?
The answer is probably no. Our virtual realities are here to stay in the long run: working from home will become the new norm. We as music teachers will continue to deliver online lessons as an alternative to in-person lessons, and we will get better and better at delivering experiences and education online.
So the thing we will need to address is: how can we utilise our technology to the best of our advantages without becoming addicted and overly dependent on them like we see in WALL-E?
I think the solution is simple: we need to appreciate things we already have. Embrace nature and our Mother Earth, love our family and friends, move our bodies and exercise, and stop consuming things we don’t need or looking at screens whenever we can.
I know this is a challenging time for us all, but we can try the following activities as a starting point to break away from technology and devices, and reconnect with family, friends, ourselves, and nature:
- Keep a physical journal, and write daily thoughts and gratitudes.
- Take a stroll in the neighbourhood. Exercise outdoors, inviting your roommates to join in if you’re experiencing lockdown together.
- Have a social media detox day – or week!
- Clean out your wardrobe, Marie Kondo-style.
- Read a physical book.
- Practice your instruments, learn a new song, and play for your loved ones.
- If you’re lucky enough to be isolating with others, spend some time each day to ask how they are feeling, and really pay attention to what they say. Express gratitude whenever they do something nice for you.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed and drown in the negativity of this situation in which we all find ourselves. But it’s important to practice the core principles that make us human: empathy, compassion, love, and connection with the people around us.
WALL-E displayed a projection of where we could end up if we don’t practice these values but instead let our addictions, laziness, and desires dominate us.
We can easily turn this into a better future if we practice some self-care, and show love for the people and nature around us.
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If you like, you can say thanks to Wendy for volunteering her time for Australian arts journalism. No amount too much or little.
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Featured image Steven C via Flickr, CC-BY-2.0.
