New Social Tensions Created By The Pandemic

     Social tensions have been prevalent long before the coronavirus pandemic hit. However, a new area of tension specifically related to the pandemic has recently become prevalent. Some are not taking it as seriously as others and this causes a divide between friends and family. At UK, some people are continuing to go out to frats and bars as carelessly as before. Many of my friends continue to participate in the same social events as before without taking precautions. This makes me frustrated with them because I feel as though they are being inconsiderate of others and contributing to the spread of the virus. My sorority has also gotten in trouble for some of the members doing the same thing which has caused tension within my sorority. My family also doesn't believe that the virus is that big of a deal because they live in Danville, a smaller town, where they aren't exposed to new cases everyday. My family gets together every Sunday to have lunch together with my grandparents and aunts, and recently I have been keeping my distance as a safety measure. This weekend my father got really frustrated with me because he thinks I'm using it as an excuse to not spend time with family. Here is a conversation we had via messages. 

    As you can see, it is causing a lot of tension within my family. This has also made relationships difficult for those couples who aren't able to see each other as much because of the virus. For example, my boyfriend goes to a small liberal arts college with strict covid regulations. During the pandemic at school I have only been able to see him a handful of times. This has been really difficult for us because spending time together online is not the same as spending time together in person. Many people however are having the opposite problem. During the lockdown, countless couples broke up or got divorced from spending too much time together and simply getting fed up with their partner. This pandemic is putting strains on all types of relationships that hasn't been experienced before and trying to navigate that has been difficult. I have found that the best way to deal with it so far has been to be vulnerable and transparent with people about how you feel. Communication is always key, and even though times are hard, those who care about you will always listen.