荔枝视频

Although our cities are, by baby steps, opening up again, we know that the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic will be with us for many months, and perhaps years, to come. The harsh realities of social distancing are not going away any time soon. 

We can expect that our experience in places where we gather as a society 鈥� from grocery stores, restaurants and hair salons to movie theatres, gyms and airlines, to name a few 鈥� will be uncomfortably altered for some time. 

Given this rocky road ahead we鈥檙e left wondering 鈥� where do we land now as a society? What are the new rules of engagement in social situations? How do we function when we鈥檙e constantly on guard, in fear of strangers as carriers of the virus? Do we report our neighbours when they鈥檙e breaking the rules, or can that be taken to socially toxic extremes? In short, what are the new rules of etiquette in a COVID-19 world? 

With these heavy questions in mind, we looked to a few 荔枝视频 experts from a range of fields for insights and advice. 

• Read Part 2 in this series

The experts here include social psychologist Dr. PhD; social philosopher Dr. PhD; and sociologist Dr. PhD. Here鈥檚 what each of them had to share. 

DR. CARA MACINNIS (Psychology) 

鈥淚鈥檝e been thinking a lot about social norms as we re-enter the world and go back to places like stores and restaurants,鈥� says MacInnis. 鈥淚 think most of us know what we鈥檙e supposed to do, but we can predict a lot of variability in what people are actually going to do. It鈥檚 human nature to look to other people when deciding 鈥楬ow am I supposed to be behaving in this situation I鈥檝e entered?鈥� And I think there鈥檚 a lot of potential for risk if we enter a place where nobody seems to be social distancing.鈥�

You might think 鈥楾hey鈥檙e feeling safe and comfortable so I鈥檓 probably safe too.鈥�

鈥淎nd you might not keep your distance. Or, you might be feeling anxious about it but you don鈥檛 want to be the person who breaks the social norm, because you don鈥檛 want to be the person who鈥檚 acting differently.鈥� 

Although it can make people feel uneasy, MacInnis says it will be important to speak up in these situations and 鈥渂e that person who breaks the social norm.鈥� That might mean assertively asking someone who鈥檚 standing too close to take a few steps back.  

鈥淚t really represents a social dilemma because what benefits the individual most is in conflict with what benefits the group,鈥� says MacInnis. 鈥淏ut what鈥檚 best for society right now is distancing and protecting everybody. Even if it鈥檚 inconvenient for us as individuals.鈥� 

Bring out worst in people

However, MacInnis is also concerned that our wariness of strangers will manifest itself in prejudice and discrimination. 

鈥淚 feel like people are not going be viewed equally,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ome groups are going to be viewed as more likely carriers of the virus than others. With COVID-19 we鈥檙e definitely seeing spikes in unjustified anti-Asian prejudice. Usually when we鈥檙e trying to study prejudice it鈥檚 hard to get people to admit to it because social norms suggest we shouldn鈥檛 be prejudiced. But situations like this may bring out the worst in people.鈥�

Suddenly people are less afraid to be very blatant about their prejudices.

MacInnis also suspects that social distancing might affect the formation of new relationships. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e just moved from another city or country, or you鈥檝e been through the end of a romantic relationship, or, you鈥檙e lonely and you just need to get out there and make new friends 鈥� what鈥檚 going to happen for those people? It鈥檚 pretty important for new relationships to be able to develop in person.

鈥淓ven if you met online, things really amp up when the in-person contact starts, and it usually involves close contact. We shake hands, we hug, we kiss. So, we鈥檙e going to miss out on all of that. I think people will find creative ways to connect, but it might be a challenge.鈥� 

DR. DAVID DICK (Philosophy) 

As a moral philosopher, Dick thinks a lot about the intentions and consequences involved in our actions and he notes that the virus has jumbled these notions in confusing ways. 鈥淧reviously benign and innocuous things are now dangerous to both ourselves and others and so we have to rethink our interactions,鈥� says Dick. 鈥淏efore, refusing a handshake was nothing other than an insult, but now it can be an act of kindness.鈥�

Before, sharing your food was a harmless way to be generous, but now it involves the risk of death or injury.

鈥淏ecause our actions have different consequences now, they have different moral values and it will take time for our norms to catch up. We now need to pay more attention than we did before both to what people are intending through their actions and what consequences those actions might have.鈥� 

Awkward time of breaking old habits

This will involve constantly breaking the old rules of etiquette around actions, says Dick, and this will be hard to do. 鈥淥ld habits will continue to guide us, and the sting of insult can remain even when it is not intended and everyone understands why the new rules are being followed. It will feel wrong for a long time and hopefully won鈥檛 last forever. What we can do is pay attention, be kind to ourselves and each other, and try not let the old rules of etiquette lead us to feel insulted or to put each other in danger. Kindness looks different now, and we鈥檒l need constant reminders of this until its new face feels familiar.鈥�  

DR. JENNY GODLEY (Sociology)

鈥淚 worry that society is going to become more divided,鈥� says Godley. 鈥淢aybe the elderly won鈥檛 be allowed in gyms, or, certain groups will be stigmatized to the point where other groups won鈥檛 socialize with them. This virus has highlighted so many inequalities in our society and I can see people thinking 鈥業t鈥檚 fine for us to socialize in our safe, white neighbourhood, but it鈥檚 not okay to socialize with someone in, say, Chinatown.鈥� 

Learn to say hello from a distance

Godley has major concerns about the long-term impacts of the pandemic on both social relations and mental health. 鈥淚鈥檓 missing that daily hello,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen we鈥檙e out walking the dog and we have to cross the street to avoid strangers 鈥� I think that could be quite damaging in the long term. I鈥檓 hoping that new norms will develop where we still say hello from a distance. And I think we have to be really careful that we鈥檙e not allowing prejudice to creep into these actions as well. If you鈥檙e only crossing the street if you see an Asian person, for example. It鈥檚 important to socially distance, but we have to be careful that we鈥檙e being consistent with it and doing it for the right reasons.鈥� 

She adds: 鈥淧eople right now are very frustrated and, in many cases, very lonely. It鈥檚 such a stressful time.鈥�

Anyone with school-age kids at home who are also trying to hold down a job are feeling enormous pressure. And then the people who are out of work are feeling such financial stress.

鈥淲e can predict that the mental health repercussions of this pandemic are going to be huge.鈥� 

These anxieties don鈥檛 always bring out the best in human nature. At a time when calling out others on social media for not following the rules has become commonplace, Godley worries about an undercurrent of nastiness that鈥檚 not fully rooted in concerns for public health. 

鈥淟ook at the issue of masks,鈥� she says. 鈥溾�漃eople get so angry that other people aren鈥檛 wearing masks, and it is understandable, but it鈥檚 also creating this right to comment on individuals in a way that we haven鈥檛 had in a long time. That鈥檚 something we need to be really careful about because there鈥檚 this anger bubbling under the surface and I think a lot of this finger-pointing can be more about our own frustrations.鈥� 

• Photo at the top of the article by  on 

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