Locked Down Conversations

Our life is reflected in our conversations. And the most happen on social media. Especially when you are facing a crisis like no other.

Conversations on the apartment WhatsApp groups which are always a mix of everything from spirituality to politics to outcries over dog poop spotted near the garden, coalesced around the ‘new virus’ in the early days.

Shared concerns consolidated over the lockdown and then with the increasing relaxations began the heated debates on the apartment WhatsApp groups.

The debates continued over what was legal, necessary, required or out of bounds for the management committee’s remit. What emerged were the multiple corona-personalities within a seemingly homogenous group of neighbours.

To begin with, there was a big group which believed in securing everything that could be secured, restricting anything that was non-essential for survival.

The differences emerged with differing perspectives on defining the ‘essential’

If milk could be delivered why not newspapers?

Read your papers online. There are a zillion channels for getting news.

All of those increase screen time. The health hazards are higher.

Higher than a possible corona-outbreak?

WHO has said newspapers are safe. <10 links, 3 infographics, 5 videos>

Why are we discussing this in the official group?

This information is important.

Stop drinking milk. Switch to a plant-based diet. <6 links, 3 infographics, 4 videos>

Why are you over-reacting? < 10 videos from doctors (a couple of dentists too) explaining it was perfectly safe to get the disease and how to treat yourself >

Maids were essential, cooks too and of course food deliveries.

Why not other deliveries then?

Look at the increasing numbers. <20 links>

Stop alarming people.

50 more messages on what should be posted (or not).

In this age of mass-enlightenment via social media, hyper-democracy, shaky political alignments and a desperate economy the government had to give up on trying to make people stay indoors. The RWAs had to give up on not letting people in, and the WhatsApp admins had to well, just give up.

Doesn’t that reflect the whole situation around us?