Humans are social creatures. We cannot survive in solitude and need to be around other people in order to survive. It is important for our mental as well as physical health. The ongoing pandemic, however, has separated us from our friends and extended family, the impact of which has been observed on nearly everyone. Although technology is more advanced than ever, nothing can compare to spending time with others in person.
Before the pandemic, we were used to seeing several people daily and conversing with them. The pandemic completely changed the situation. For a long time, we did not meet anyone in person and our online mode of communication was through technology. This has had a marked effect on our social skills. As society slowly begins to feel a lot more ‘normal’, we need to reintegrate into our regular social schedules; which means interacting with more people than we have this past year. Although this is an exciting prospect, we must keep in mind that, to quote the US National Social Anxiety Center, that we are now all socially awkward to a certain extent. Our communication skills have deteriorated and we have become socially ‘rusty’. This may not seem a large problem for many, but it is in truth enormous. A year without much social contact is a long time.
This problem may lead to some other uncomfortable situations as well; for example, before this unprecedented change took place, we used to hug and showcase affection to our family and friends physically, but as people slowly transition back into normal life, some find it difficult to ease back into hugs. Of course, this is a problem for later, because of the recent heavy restrictions, but it is one to keep in mind. Another problem is not being able to hold long conversations like we used to.
We must all learn to overcome this problem, but the key to achieving resocialization is to go about the process slowly and thoroughly. Talking on calls with people rather than texting is one method that can be used. For people who strongly feel socially awkward, visiting a therapist for social anxiety is always a good option. We must come together as a society to achieve complete resocialization.
Resocialization represented graphically
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