By Taylor Helmes, News Assistant News Editor
My screen time has undoubtedly increased since we’ve started self-quarantining and social distancing as per Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders. A third of my screen time has been spent on social media, TikTok dominantly. Yes, I’m another victim of the addictive app, but there’s an unusually abundant amount of freetime in my life now so it helps make the days pass by faster.
But imagine going through this Stay-At-Home order without your phone, computer, or television and instead is a pop-up toaster, a radio, and old newspapers you never got around to tossing out. That’s what life at home was like during the 1918 SARS outbreak, but not in 2020. We’re lucky enough to live during a time where technology has advanced enough to make this self-quarantine somewhat manageable.
There are new ways technology is being put to use today compared to one hundred years ago. With movie theatres closed, friends can join NetflixParty together and virtually stream films and series together. A majority of cellphone users have Facetime or some sort of video chat app that helps us keep in contact with friends, family, and co-workers. Video calls are crucial right now with social distance orders, self-quarantining, and staying home as much as possible being a combination to prevent the continuing spread of the virus and should be utilized.
Telehealth has been implemented throughout the healthcare system for physicians to communicate with their patients to prevent unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office and flatten the curve by avoiding possible exposure to other sick patients. Telehealth includes anything from a phone call with an advice nurse to a video call with a physician. More advanced use of technology includes artificial intelligence and internet connection. Kinsa Health has provided digital internet-connected thermometers as a solution for patients to be remotely monitored by their doctors. Artificial Intelligence paired with facial scanners have also been put in some hospitals, like at Tampa General Hospital in FL., that analyzes facial attributes and thermal detection in individuals visiting the hospital.
With screen time increasing in many households and activities being extremely limited, it’s easy to get distracted by the infinite internet. Coronavirus has impacted nearly everyone we know, or at least everyone I know. Students are virtually attending class on Zoom and Blackboard, bedrooms or living rooms are being turned into a makeshift workspace (where decoration and personalization are minimal, at least it is at my desk at home), and we are becoming reliant on technology now more than ever. But thank goodness we have the internet to help us get through this ever changing world we live in. Because I don’t know about you, but I definitely would’ve died of boredom if all I had was a toaster, radio, and old newspapers I never finished reading.
