Sudiksha Budhrani / 2440043811
Writing Fundamentals Class
14 October 2020
Topic: Communication has fundamentally changed and faces new challenges in the coronavirus era
Yes, I agree that communications have evolved during the coronavirus time. My generation was born in a time wherein we had the privilege to use technology. Although we had the technology and were already exposed to online communication, we still preferred face to face, because there is just something special about the human touch which gives you a different feel and experience. In my writing, I am going to explain how nurses in the hospitals had to change the ways they communicate with sick people and their families, how communication changed in social media and how non-verbal communication has been changed.
Firstly, doctors and nurses must adapt the way they communicate during Covid-19 so that they do not create unnecessary fear for the patients infected by the virus and their families. Nurses and doctors are required to deal with feelings that are often experienced by the patients. (Marra, 5 C.E.). Also, healthcare workers are obliged to practice becoming more understanding, more patient, and give a feeling of comfort through their non-verbal communication. When patients have recovered from covid-19, some of them might have some trauma which can lead to anxiety and depression. This has become a new challenge for the health care staff which challenges their communication skills on how well they can make the people suffering feeling better. (Marra, 5 C.E.). Moreover, when people are in isolation due to covid-19, the medical team also takes the responsibility of not only taking care of their medication but also mental health. The medical team also need to support the patients in term of supporting their fears because it is scary when you are in a hospital bed all alone without the support of your friends and family. (Marra, 5 C.E.).
Secondly, covid-19 has challenged our creativity in communications. Social media usage has increased so much during covid-19. This has made us creative because of all the colorful and fancy stuff we see on social media somewhat inspires us to think out of the box on how we show the message on social media. (Communication Analysis: How a Pandemic Changed the Way We Communicate - Bishop Gadsden, 2020) On the contrary, social media has also made people feel like they do not fit in and has led to depression and anxiety. Many people do not realize that they are scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and it is slowly taking over their lives. This has even led some people to take a social media break to find their true selves again. Some people feel like they cannot conduct face-to-face interaction now because believe it or not isolation has made us more introverted. (Gupta, 2020)
Lastly, it is hard for us to feel the emotions or observe the body language of another person through the zoom or online conference. For example, we cannot even see the sadness or happiness of another person from their face because it is covered with a face shield and a mask. That is why we have to clarify more than we used to before the pandemic because if not we are more prone to having misunderstandings. (COVID-19 Is Changing the Way We Communicate—Here’s How, n.d.)
In conclusion, I agree that covid-19 has indeed changed the way we communicate. Healthcare workers have to adjust to using communication to help comfort the patients and help them go through their fears. Moreover, people have also used more social media during the pandemic which changed the way they create content and send their message through social media. To wrap it up, non-verbal communication is also lacking from all of us because we cannot see body movements through social media.
References
Communication Analysis: How a pandemic changed the way we communicate - Bishop Gadsden. (2020, May 19). Bishop Gadsden. https://www.bishopgadsden.org/news-events/communication-analysis-how-a-pandemic-changed-the-way-we-communicate/ Accessed 14 Oct. 2020.
COVID-19 Is Changing the Way we Communicate—Here’s How. (n.d.). Verywell Mind. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/communication-adaptation-in-the-time-of-covid-5073146. Accessed 14 Oct. 2020.
Gupta, S. (2020, August 31). To break up with social media or not. Mumbai Mirror; Mumbai Mirror. https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/columnists/sonali-gupta/to-break-up-with-social-media-or-not/articleshow/77838724.cms. Accessed 14 Oct. 2020.
Marra, A. (5 C.E.). How COVID-19 pandemic changed our communication with families: losing nonverbal cues | Critical Care | Full Text. Critical Care. https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-020-03035-w. Accessed 15 Oct. 2020.
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