COVID-19: Human Values and Digital Media
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has spread like a fire throughout the world and has immensely affected the lives of the people. All of us are a part of a pandemic that has changed the way we operate. Sanitizers, masks and gloves have become the new essentials and we, the social animals, have become acquainted with terms like social distancing, quarantine and isolation. The discussions related to COVID-19 on digital platforms such as social media have shown us how people have reacted to the new circumstances. The usage of the Internet and televisions has sky-rocketed as people are generally staying in their homes. Thus, digital media is being consumed heavily during this pandemic. In this article, I would like to present my perspective on the human values that have been depicted in digital media. I will discuss the consequences of traditions, values and habits on our society.
The Coronavirus is common in some species of animals but this highly contagious strain may have likely entered humans through bats. Some reports suggest that it may have spread through the seafood and animal market in Wuhan, China. There are a lot of other diseases that can be contracted through animals, one of the examples being the bubonic plague. The Great Manchurian Plague that broke out in northeastern China by 1910 is believed to be caused by infected marmots that were hunted for meat and fur. Also, HIV is believed to have come from the chimpanzees in Africa that were hunted for meat. I came across many videos and articles on social media that showed the eating habits of some people. I could barely watch them as I was shocked to see what they consumed and have been consuming for a very long time. The articles and videos showed the bizarre reality of the wet markets where animals such as snakes, scorpions, wolf cubs and civet cats are sold, and some are even sold alive. They also showed people consuming raw meat and sometimes even creatures that were still moving. Although these eating habits may be age-old traditions of the people, I feel they should contemplate the effect of these traditions on the world. The consumption of animals and unsanitary practices poses the threat of spreading diseases that sometimes can wipe out the majority of the population of many regions such as Black Death, which resulted in the deaths of 25 – 200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa. The cruelty on animals for
procuring their meat is another issue and humans should think carefully before eating anything that he/she wishes. If these practices continue, nothing is denying the fact that we may face another pandemic whose origin would be from animals and may possibly be deadlier than the COVID-19 virus.
One other aspect that has been circulating on digital platforms is the reaction of people after the lockdown was imposed in many countries. The initial outbreak caused havoc among the people of Europe and the cases were rising exponentially in countries like Italy, France and Spain. In order to slow down the spread of the infection, a lockdown was imposed and adequately followed by the people. The result is that the curve in these countries has flattened and lockdown is being lifted with certain restrictions. On the other hand, some countries like the US and Brazil have taken this pandemic differently and the cases have never stopped increasing. The government’s role is crucial in these times, and there are debates in the digital platforms about how these countries have taken steps to check the spread of the virus. There are numerous videos on digital media that show people going to the beach casually without following social distancing, not wearing masks and behaving rudely with shopkeepers who ask them to wear it. There have been instances where people were fighting for everyday items such as toilet papers as everyone was over-preparing and panic buying to avoid future shortages. I think people should take inspiration from the countries that have been successful in handling this unusual situation due to the COVID-19 virus. They should understand that human civilization can only defeat this virus if we all help each other and caring only about ourselves is not enough. The virus does not care if one is rich or poor or black or white; it affects all of us in the same way.
A severe effect of the pandemic has been on people’s mental health all over the world. The uncertain and unusual situations created due to this virus have led to the development of anxiety, fear and depression among some of us. Many jobs have been taken away and the market has plummeted due to the economic recession caused by the virus. People have been forced to stay alone, apart from their loved ones due to the travel restriction during the lockdown. Many are worried about their health and safety. The students in schools and colleges have also been significantly affected as the online mode of teaching is new to many of them and their future appears to be vague. According to the survey conducted between April 13 th , 2020 and April 20 th , 2020 by Healthline and YouGov’s COVID-19 tracker, three in five Americans reported that they fear getting infected with the Coronavirus. Also, 49 percent of respondents in this survey indicated some signs of depression measured by the PHQ-4 scale. In comparison to the norms, this number is around 37 percent. This shows an increase in the number of mental health issues that may be linked to the pandemic. I feel that we will be able to get the better of this virus in a short period of time as researchers everywhere are pushing hard to find a cure for this disease. So, people should gather all of their strengths and have a strong belief that they would be able to survive through these tough situations. The human values and cooperation with each other will help in relieving the stress of people in these times.
As the consumption of digital media is increasing, so are the cases of misinformation and fake news (deliberate hoaxes spread by either traditional news media or digital and social media) through WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms. I have been the recipient of a lot of messages related to the spread of the virus and the prevention techniques, and most of them contained wrong or partially correct information. After the incident of positive cases arising in the Islamic group Tablighi Jamaat, several false claims against Muslims were circulated. Doctored and fake videos also created fear among them. I think that people have significant powers in their hands as they can change the perspectives of others through social media. All of us should have a sense of this responsibility and during these hard times, it becomes imperative that we avoid the circulation of news without fact-checking.
There are also positive consequences of human values that have relieved some of the stress caused by the outbreak. The Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has helped migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other parts of India who were working in Mumbai, find a way back home amidst the lockdown by arranging buses or chartered flights. It shows that efforts from the citizens of a country can help the government and other people indirectly. Also, police officers and doctors have been working day and night for the welfare of their nation and its people all around the world. The shopkeepers have helped the society by providing the essential items during the lockdown and various online services have made it possible for people to get these items delivered to their doorstep. Social media has appreciated the efforts of all these professionals and it has also helped people realize that they are not alone in these tough times.
In conclusion, the human race is in a rare and unprecedented scenario. In order to live through this situation without any discomfort, we need to be there for each other and human values will play a vital role in our battle with an invisible virus. In this reflection paper, I tried to cover all the different aspects of human tradition and values that have been becoming popular in the digital platforms, mostly on social media. These perspectives show that our actions and values can have a significant impact on our society. In the end, it will be our decisions that will shape the post-pandemic ‘new’ normal life.
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