Small Talks During Coronavirus Pandemic, Essay Example

Arguably, most people in this era are their first time to witness a respiratory pandemic that is so contagious, and anyone irrespective of social class, education, geographical location, among other demographic characteristics, is at risk. Coronavirus can be argued to be more dreadful than HIV in the sense of its transmission. Unlike HIV, where one can contract it by coming into contact with contaminated blood, seminal fluids, or sharing sharp objects, the Coronavirus has so many transmission modes, and the fact that it can remain on surfaces for several days makes it more dangerous. It has directly or indirectly affected people worldwide, leading to loss of jobs, starvation, health complications, social crimes, and breakdown in social interaction. It is no longer business as usual worldwide; people are scared, and engaging in small talks with strangers has reduced significantly as no one knows who is infected and who is not. Therefore, I concur with the arguments advanced by Luke Winkie in his article “The Coronavirus Has Killed Small Talk” that small talk has changed; however, I think it is the structure of the conversation that has changed, not the talk per se.

Antithetical to the past, it now sounds sarcastic for a person to ask the famous question, “How are you?” There is no longer the right answer to this anymore. Everyone has been affected by this pandemic. Even those businesses, particularly the textile industry, which have ripped billions during this era, have been compelled to limit their productions since people have little than enough to spend on those goods. As propagated by Winkie, Coronavirus has thwarted small talk in social tally as the fear of contracting the disease has compelled people to engage others, especially in the street, when it is necessary. Social interaction impacts different areas of people’s lives, affecting the workplace, day-to-day activities, and home life. One of the most significant predictors of physical and mental health is determined through the quality of social relationships.

Through the small talks is when people engage others to enquire how they are doing, and this was asked from an obvious point of view, but now in coronavirus pandemic, no one is doing as great as before, making the question ambiguous. The person asking the question already knows what the answer will be even before the respondent answers. Millions have lost their jobs, finalists in academics have been compelled to push their career objectives later, and the government has been forced to shelve it is multi-million projects to address the pandemic. Therefore, no one is safe from this; we are all in this together. The question then arises on how humans can foster social interaction moving forward when lockdown and strict measures are put in place to minimize close contact of people.

Nonetheless, human beings are social creatures and cannot live in total isolation. The isolation imposed by the Coronavirus is debilitating. People look forward to being with other people, sharing a drink in clubs, sharing meals, and other social activities. Indeed, it is not a surprise to see that individuals throw parties and engage in group activities when restrictions are eased. On that note, I can’t entirely agree with Winkie that the pandemic has supplanted small talk. I think the pandemic has, in one way, enhanced these small talks but in different ways. People are now more cautious about the feelings and health of others than before. In one way or another, the Coronavirus discussion will find its way during an informal conversation. As Winkie asserted, a conversation with his father always begins with cordial navigation of the increasing death toll, collapsing of economies, and terror of visiting social places. With this lockdown and strict restrictions, the Coronavirus has led to new social groups than before.

Telecommunication services are increasing every day, as millions of people remain under lockdown. Individuals are now connecting in new social ways, reunions with family members and friends with who they have not connected in decades, and hosting virtual bachelorette parties. Under normal circumstances, when faced with life challenges, people turn to their friends and family. Notwithstanding, some individuals are cut off from ordinary social interaction and are now opting for video or voice calls as an alternative. On that note, I feel the corona pandemic has given us something familiar to talk about, which has promoted reconnections with our lost friends and families. It is more certain that individuals will communicate with each other now than before due to the pandemic fear. No one knows who will be next to be diagnosed with the disease; thus, holding those small talks has become necessary. The conversation is no longer for easing the world pressures but rather to connect with others and create that sense of “we are together in this.”

Winkie’s article highlights essential points on how the conversation has changed due to the Coronavirus by focusing on the emotional aspect but then fails to acknowledge how the pandemic has reinforced it differently. I think people are communicating more than before as they have more time at their disposal than before. The pandemic has led to the emergence of new social interactions where more in-depth conversations are held to make other people at ease and not the dread conversation of “So, how are you doing?” Individuals are becoming more practical than usual and help those who had previously shied from real conversation to up their game for the sake of those they love.