Op-Ed
It is no question that COVID-19 has created global chaos. But within that chaos, we want to see love. Love that should push and force people to be kinder, say hello, look out for one another, showing us that even in the darkest times we can find a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. This pandemic has made us self isolate, practice social distancing, and learn to be with one’s self. I think the world was overdue for something like this to happen. To disconnect and then reconnect with what is truly important. The importance of helping others, of not caring about what social media trends are happening, acting correctly not to prove to someone else but to prove to yourself you are a thoughtful human being. This is all we hope to happen in these uncertain times, however, it is not always like that. Even though we wish this pandemic shone the light on how important it is to be good, it has unfortunately also shown us a bigger problem, bigger than COVID-19. How humanity is at a loss.
I believe that we are in bigger trouble than the virus itself. Although we hope society learns from this to be a better person, unfortunately, that is not always the case. People are being selfish, careless, reckless just for their own good. Part of this pandemic is to unite and fight it as one. Sadly, this is not something we can cure or fix with just one person.
To fight COVID-19, it is going to take all of us. However, people are stealing food from shopping carts, hoarding medicine, and basic necessities such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Even bigger than this is how people are not practicing social distancing. This is usually seen more in the younger generations because they are not as affected or fearful as the older population is. KRON 4 News addresses Gov. Newsom’s views on how people in the Bay Area are not thinking about others, especially the younger people. Newsom states, “Wake up because it is time to grow up… don’t be selfish” to the people who are gathering in parks and beaches last weekend. How can we cure the lack of social respect?
All of this links back to the idea that humanity is at a loss. We are in trouble and the only way to make this work is to unify everyone. If younger people become particularly mindful about others, we have a chance. The US Government doesn’t want to implement police force so they are counting on social pressure to make people act correctly. Social pressure only goes so far. Sadly, mankind has proven to us now that they only care to a certain extent and at the end of the day, they will hoard what they need and not think of others well beings.
I strongly believe that this roots from improper parenting. An individual's early childhood years are crucial for developing respect. If respect is not taught correctly in a child's household, then how are they supposed to learn that the world doesn't revolve around them? Kids who grow up in households that impress correct virtues upon them from an early age are more likely to act respectfully and have a well-tuned moral compass.
In my opinion, there are steps we can take as a community to better ourselves and battle this insane pandemic. The Government has thought of great ways to better social distancing by closing non-essential businesses, such as shopping malls and other locations that are not needed in times like these.
They have even gone the extra mile by closing public beaches even if people are following the six feet apart regulations. My thoughts on closing the beaches and parks vary because of the impact this can have on mental health.
Some people are not capable of staying isolated for long periods of time, so I think that there should be an alternative to this where people can go on walks. However, for now it is for the best. By closing all the restaurants, it has forced people to not even have the option to dine-in which is great.
Lastly, establishments that are considered essential businesses, such as grocery stores, are starting to implement rules that state that customers can only buy two proteins and a certain amount of cleaning supplies so everyone has the chance to purchase. This is really helping with the selfish people that hoard and do not keep in mind others in their community.
Overall, even though this worldwide issue has indeed brought people together and has made us reflect on what truly matters, it still has highlighted a bigger threat which is the lack of humanity others have demonstrated to our global community.
COVID-19 has been an excellent reminder that all people are susceptible to loneliness. Elderly people are known to experience loneliness at a very high rate, and yet, we refrain from taking a couple of minutes of our day to check-in or think if it is worth us leaving our home to put others at risk. We should move forward with a bit more empathy for those who are in unfortunate circumstances.
With today’s technology, we have more access than ever to connect with others without crossing the threshold of our homes. We must remind one another that we do not have to leave our houses to cast light on someone else's day. However, we still have a long way to go to truly become a selfless and unified global community. Hence, the question I keep asking myself is, is there a cure to this lack of social respect?
I really enjoyed your point on how the COVID-19 is not something we can cure or fix with one person. It takes all of us to stop the pandemic so it is very disappointing to see people fight at supermarkets for supplies that could be easily accessible for all of us if people share and buy only what is necessary. Part of this pandemic is to unite and fight it as one and I think it's really important for people to have social respect- especially during a time like this. The Government has regulated social distancing by closing non-essential businesses, such as shopping malls and other non emergent locations. I believe that if people are willing to follow the regulations…
More than anything, I think the lack of "social respect" that you identified -- such as young people gathering in public parks and beaches -- is a product of how difficult to the consequences of a pandemic such as the one were currently experiencing are to understand. Unlike other crises, such as acts of terrorism or world wars, the threat of COVID-19's spread is less obvious and disproportionately impacts those in different age and risk groups. As a result, I think it's very difficult for younger populations to take the social distancing measures as seriously considering they feel little personal danger to their own lives.
I think it comes back to our spoiled we have been throughout our lives. Our entire society has built itself around consumerism in the past years. We are always looking for the next fashion statement to make, the newest best car to drive, taking extravagant vacations whenever we want. Now that we are forced to abandon those ideals, people are really losing their shit. It's eye-opening to see how much of our world revolves around the idea of acquiring more, with the end never in site. That is why i thought it was so important during this time to turn to other methods of satisfaction: writing, reading, painting. I really have no idea how people will act once th…
I agree with David. Some people ignorantly don't think such mandates apply to them and they fail to consider (or outright ignore) the consequences on their community as a whole. This has been especially frustrating for me as I see peers of mine posting videos or photos with their friends on Snapchat and other platforms in real-time. While regulating public places and closing business is beneficial, there is much more socializing that convenes behind closed doors. At that point, it becomes a question of whether peers should be regulating and questioning their own friends who are disobeying current policies. I'd hope that most friends are keeping others in check but there is definitely some hesitation about our involvement when it…
Sadly I don't believe there is a single "cure" for the "lack of social respect". It may sound pessimistic of me but I think that human beings are innately self-oriented and therefore we often fail to consider the impact our actions may impart upon others. I think the roots of social respect can be traced back to an individuals early childhood years. This may be a bit of a stretch, but I think proper parenting has a lot to do with social respect, especially in times like these. Kids who grow up in households which impress these virtues upon them from an early age are more likely to act respectfully and have a well tuned moral compass. As a side…