As Gee is the final pathfinder for the Spring 2021 semester, I enjoyed reading and listening to the selected content for this week. The Coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March 0f 2020, but it is apparent that individuals are still overcoming the difficulties that the forceful shutdown has left us with. Pearl Subbon’s “For introverts, the COVID-19 lockdown has an upside” gives insight into individuals who are introverts and their difficulties they may face after the pandemic. The reading states that “Frank Chow, on the other hand, spoke of the dangers to introverts, who may experience challenges re-integrating into societies after lockdowns.” This sentence came to no surprise as we have undergone quarantine for the latter half of 2020, and introverts became accustomed to being alone and creating a routine that works for them. With the ongoing pandemic, it is recommended that society takes precautions with their day-to-day activities and social gatherings. When restrictions begin to lift, we must think about how introverts will feel. With my mother working in healthcare, during the first half of the pandemic, I was put into a bubble so much that I had to wear a mask if I left my bedroom. Now that restrictions are being lifted, I often fear going out and socializing. For my birthday, I informed my friends that if I were inviting them to dinner, it meant they would have to provide me with a negative COVID-19 test result beforehand. Crazy, I know, but this is what it has come down to with being an introvert who overthinks during the pandemic.
On the other hand, Subbon also focuses on the benefits that introverts have encountered during the pandemic regarding academics. Oftentimes, the shy and reserved students can be taken for lazy. Educators may believe that these students do not want to participate when in reality, these students are “waiting for some garrulous teacher to suddenly pounce on you with a question. You may well know the answer, but the pressure to perform momentarily robs you of breath, and you can barely stammer out a coherent sentence before blushing with embarrassment as those around you snigger.” Students are filled with anxiety, preventing them from participating how they would hope. From a student’s standpoint, I may not participate in class as often as I should, but I feel as if my assignments that I turn in display that I am listening in class while then being able to display my understanding.
Moreover, when listening to Darcy Dixon’s Ted Talk “Gen Z: How a Generation Defined a Pandemic,” I began to reflect on my contribution to society during the pandemic. Dixon explains that we all have felt “collectively estranged,” but we have found ways to connect with our community outside of the physical aspect. I will state that I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the pandemic. Being by myself and doing absolutely nothing thrilled me until I began to go crazy. The community formed on Tik Tok surprisingly gave me something to do. Seeing others experience the same life encounters interested me while also learning all of the new and improved dances. Dixon askes the listens “Whether you are active members of your communities making an impact and cultivating the world that we will face tomorrow and beyond?” I reflected on this question because, unfortunately, I am not sure if I am “taking power into my own hands” by making a difference or soaking in what everyone else has done thus far.