It’s odd how certain phrases like “I have no life” have become quite trite, lingering in our vocabulary and simmering to the surface, often leaving us unphased by their mention. In light of Covid-19 and its enduring repercussions, many young people have felt this lonesome, lifeless sense in a far more realistic way than the phrase’s original meaning ever intended. We, as a generation, have strayed far from the territory of having-no-life and ordering take out on a Friday night and have since entered an unprecedented realm of isolation and loneliness caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the beginning of college, a ray of hope shone through. But one couldn’t help but wonder, would students be able to sit in a lecture hall for classes? Would we be able to see our friends off-screen? For a generation which takes pride in its technological prowess, it is poignant how real life connections are still so craved.
As much as hugging one’s friends immediately upon arrival would have been ideal, international students returning to Dublin faced a different hurdle. The Irish government asked international students (and tourists) to self-isolate for a two-week period before engaging in society once more. Traveling to Dublin from Tennessee, I braced myself for the short period of quarantine and sent thankful texts to friends who offered to purchase groceries for me. Besides going on walks alone, I, in addition to the majority of other students, remained in my flat– comforted by a slew of tv shows and my worn copy of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Yet, speaking to other students, I recognized a disturbing pattern. American PPES student Jackson Littlewood lamented that after “going along with restrictions, seeing people coming back and partying is disheartening…I put in a lot of effort and when others treat the situation with such disregard, it really is very disheartening.”
Jackson’s perspective encapsulates the sentiment most of us feel. People we may know who disregard important social guidelines is, in fact, disheartening. Not only that, but it also causes a great sense of health anxiety, intrinsically linked to the idea that you have done your part and could jeopardize yourself, and others, by engaging with people who have behaved recklessly. Some may feel more comfortable alone, whilst openly admitting to missing the “old ways”, this mental paradox is not something to take lightly. To maintain healthy standards and protect oneself, even against friends, is valid.
Witnessing friends acting as though we live in a normal time, while in reality, such significant changes have occurred, is a difficult pill to swallow. Perhaps you disagree completely with how someone close to you treats the pandemic; this would inevitably lead to a silent tension that, once voiced, could cause a rift within the relationship. Is that worth it? These questions burden those on the less-discussed side of the Covid-19 pandemic– the young people who are not on a beach, drinking and partying with no regard for health or safety. It’s the young people who desperately miss their friends but want to do their part; the people who have been alone so long who now feel uncomfortable engaging in social situations without a feeling of panic, questioning whether he or she is sick or the millions of consequences that may follow that train of thought.
One more scenario worth exploring is that which is described by Law and Political Science student Ellen Hyland, who speaks to her journey from Swords to Dublin city center: “I’ve been on the bus and gone upstairs and there would be one other person there who will then put on his mask because he thought that just because there was no one else upstairs that the rules just don’t apply.” Yet, the rules do apply. The onus is on individuals to do their part and ensure that all appropriate and legal measures are taken to protect vulnerable members of society–to protect family, friends, and ourselves. Abiding by the rules is more than valid and expected.
Our relationships do not feel normal right now, but how could they? Calling a friend over Zoom to talk about how things are going is not the same as finding a spot in the Barista School and chatting away over an Americano. As annoying as this phrase has become, this truly is a temporary situation; to those who have done their part and are feeling dismayed by the lack of such standards from those they know, keep fighting the good fight and doing the right thing.
