By Kelechi Onuobia
There are numerous issues those of us under lockdown have had to face, but would we be overlooking those little benefits that are being affected by the pandemic entails?
More than a third of the world’s population has been advised to stay in the one place where they do not pose such a risk to public safety – their homes. Of course, we’ve experienced countless problems since – slowly but surely -decreasing hoarded food, a lack of income for an unknown period of time, and many more, contribute to the socio-economic disruption enveloping the world at present.
As a result, the obvious method to connect to the rest of the world has become the Internet. And YouTube has proved more resourceful than ever at such a time as this.
If you decide to browse the web for the trending videos in the past month following the closure of many schools in most countries, you’ll find tons featuring somewhat imprisoned ‘vloggers’, maybe a few accomplished celebrities. In each, they document their new ‘Productive Morning Routine’ or ‘Quarantine Workout’ or even their ‘Online School Routine for Quarantine’.
More importantly, they share their tips on the topic with others.
It seems not just YouTube but every popular webpage there is in the World Wide Web has a little positivity to offer to ensure our lives don’t just come to a screeching halt indefinitely.
For example, well-known media network BuzzFeed has utilized its ever-expansive gathering of viewers and readers so as to increase their articles’ and videos’ relevance during the coronavirus pandemic. And local broadcasting corporations such as Canada’s CBC are familiarizing children with the influx of new educational content to keep idle youth busy and foster learning at home.
The boredom that can stare individuals of any age in the face is quite common, but could the Internet – a creation that has been constantly considered a distraction to students and the once- employed population alike – suddenly provide the answers to what to do in our spare time?
Indeed, suggestions such as house maintenance, journaling and learning a new skill are already in pursuit – and it’ll need even less persuasion if done with friends through other forms of communication.
With no jobs to rush to, the inability to leave your front yard and no end to lockdowns in sight, it is very tempting to find reason to do absolutely nothing at all.
With technology at our fingertips, the chances are way higher that we won’t give in to that temptation.
- Kelechi Onuobia is a 13-year-old writer. He is a secondary school student.
*EDITOR’S NOTE: Kelechi Onuobia’s write-up has just triggered a thought. First, Kelechi gets a prize which we will transmit to his mum. Then, we would like as many preteens and 13-year olds as possible to write us an essay with the prefix – My Productive Quarantine. The best five entries will win prizes from us which we will announce as soon as possible. Entries should be sent to info@lagosmetropolitan.com
