A new era

Most of us must have lost count on how many days we have been confined to our homes. I have completed one full month. The last time I was out was March 13. I am bored, I must confess, but there is little I can do other than staying home to protect my own health and contribute to the fight against a deadly pandemic.

I fully agree with ancient Greek philosopher Aristoteles, who said man is a social animal. One full month without meeting with friends, attending public events but full of e-meetings, e-conferences, e-books, and e-concerts. Was it not great to listen to Andrea Bocelli performing at an empty Duomo of Milan last weekend? As Celine Dion is reported to have said, “if God would have a singing voice, he must sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli.”

Unfortunately, the routine of our lives collapsed with the COVID-19 taking the dimensions of a killer pandemic. Of course, there are people who still pretend not to understand the gravity of the situation and insist on sporting outside, riding on motorbikes, gathering at parks, organizing and attending weddings and such ceremonies while funerals are not allowed to be participated by anyone other than the immediate relatives.

The shopping mayhem unleashed the past Friday after it was announced that there would be a weekend curfew to take off people from the streets as a measure to avoid the spread of the coronavirus demonstrated indeed that much effort is needed to explain to people why isolation is so important in fighting a viral pandemic. In which house there cannot be sufficient foodstuff that would suffice a family for a weekend?

However, the more people comprehend the bitter reality that staying home is like serving to defend mankind the better results might become possible. Kit is apparent that “stay home” teasers cannot suffice to keep people at home. Similar scenes might have been seen everywhere on the globe. Probably sociologists must come up with some brighter ideas on how to convince the egocentric segments of all societies that it is indeed in their best individual interest to limit their freedoms, stay at home and get over this pandemic with the least human life cost.

That is perhaps the most difficult challenge of these days which at the same time has helped the entire world population usher into a new way of life, which is still shaping up.

Social media is no longer a phenomenon of the young people. People of all ages have learned to effectively use social media platforms even though most of the middle and upper age groups were all caught unprepared for such an experience.

In fact, perhaps because of the uncensored and often unreliable social media messages a degree of “Cronamania” was created, disinformation spread, but at the same time, we all learned by hard various ways of fact-checking or resilience against ill-intentioned temptations.

Thus, while on the one hand social media was a medium to spread panic, a new process was launched to make best use of the digital platforms. Schools were closed. Theatres were closed. Concert halls were no longer accessible. Shopping has become very difficult and dangerous. Online education, e-conferences, online concerts started. Almost all major retailers have started online services. Even though foundations were barred from having online meetings, all associations and civil society organizations moved their activities to online platforms. Talk shows, ateliers, lectures have all become online.

Eminent singers are no longer hosting concerts. Now we are sufficing with online concerts. Even the state-owned TRT channel has started a new soap opera with actors performing their roles through their own cameras from their own homes.

A new era is opening in all areas.