Forming relationships is already difficult enough as it is, let alone maintain them, but now with a pandemic on our hands, it’s made it even harder to meet new individuals and keep up with the current people in our lives. Everybody has their preferences with how they like to interact with others, whether it be by text, video call, or face to face, but regardless of the method this last year has made it much more difficult to maintain relationships.

I, personally, like meeting people for the first-time face to face; so, for me, meeting new people before this school year began, I was only able to meet a few individuals. Having social media and a phone in general, have made it easier to keep up with the people we care about, but as I stated earlier this past year and into this new year have made it difficult to see our friends and loved ones in person. 

We as people need human contact that doesn’t come from a screen. It can help us cope for a while, but eventually it won’t be enough. Initially, social media can be a great tool for finding people with the same interests as you, and develop relationships online, but at the end of the day it can’t take the place of human interaction. Whatever your opinion is about the masks and the social distancing, there are some individuals that do need to be careful when they go out to meet with people. For them, it can be especially hard and intimidating to go out and try to keep up with their friends and family.

Ways to form new relationships during this time is to use the internet, any form of it you may have. You could snap someone new, comment on someone’s post you may not know well, just try to branch out on a social media platform if you’re up for it. If you have a gaming console, play some online games with your mic on and talk in chat. Ways to maintain relationships is by doing the same thing but on a more personal level. 

Call your friend every few days to see how they’re doing, text your relatives, make more awkward small talk with your coworkers. Just remember that it takes more than one person to try to stay in contact. I tend to have problems remembering this myself. There are many ways that you can meet and keep up with people during this trying time, you just have to remember that it takes two people, not one.

Having school return back to hybrid has given students the ability to see their friends again and potentially make new ones. There are many apps out there that can be very beneficial when it comes to having conversations, whether it be by video or call. 

Some students have used said apps to keep in touch with their friends, some through an app called discord, an anonymous CIHS sophomore girl, said, “My friends and I talk through discord because it’s a lot easier to talk on.” 

Some students had a much harder time, like CIHS student Suzie Hamlin, “It was hard. It’s hard kinda not being at school with your friends. My parents not letting me see my friends outside of my house. The only time I get to see my friends is at school or at Walmart.” 

Even though we’re back in school, we’re still at half capacity and some students, including myself, barely know anyone on the day that they go to school. It’s the same with lunches. We’re so spread out that the individuals who did have friends on the same day as them, aren’t able to see each other at lunch. One positive of the splitting up of classes is that you notice people that you may have never seen before. I know I sure have. This is an opportunity to try and talk to new people and make new friends.

This a new experience for all of us, so let’s all try to be understanding. You can grumble about your dislike for wearing a mask, complain about not seeing your friends, but try not to give the staff or your parents a hard time about it. It’s not their fault. They don’t like it anymore then we do. Extroverts, my heart goes out to you all, it must suck right now. Introverts, I know you dislike it, but I know you’re either missing or starting to miss human interaction. Ambiverts, I hope you handle the sudden changes well. I think that’s it, so thank you for reading!