Global Connections

This week I am writing about the Around the World series created by Cut. Cut is a YouTube channel that is focused on storytelling through the use of small questions. With the COVID-19 pandemic placing a challenge on creating new content, Cut decided to re-vamp the Around the World series to showcase how viewers from all across the world are managing. The video is comprised of a series of recordings from viewers that are from countries such as France, Thailand, Jamaica, Japan, Belgium, and many more answering the question “how are you dealing with the coronavirus”? The interesting aspect of this video was how similar everyone’s experiences dealing with coronavirus were. Many participants talked about being quarantined in their homes and lamented about the number of days it has been since they have been outside. Some noticeable differences were seen in the stay-at-home policies from the various countries. For instance, France requires all of its citizens to fill out a form whenever one leaves their residence. The form requires citizens to fill out their name, address, and reason for leaving their residence. Other snippets of the video included footage of usually populated areas, such as metro stations and highways, devoid of traffic and commotion. Near the end of the video, participants voiced the importance of staying at home. They emphasized the importance of social distancing and flattening the curve, especially for the sakes of the elderly and immunocompromised.

After watching this video, I felt a sense of encouragement. I realized that no matter where anyone is in the world, humanity as a whole is fighting back against the COVID-19 pandemic. This sense of togetherness made me feel more comfortable and accepting of the state of my mental health, knowing that millions of people all across the world also share feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress. Another feeling that was captured was loneliness. Many participants expressed feelings of loneliness as they were quarantined separately from their families. The reasons listed were the closing of country borders and family members simply being too far away to justify the travel. These snippets really resonated with me as I am across the country from my parents. Hearing these participants talk through their feelings of loneliness helped me confront my own feelings. I was able to talk about these feelings through friends and other loved ones, which was a tremendous source of comfort.

Through this video, I was able to feel hopeful despite the craziness stemming from COVID-19. I believe that this video is a form of civic media because it helps connect viewers through empathy and togetherness. From watching this video, I am further encouraged to continue to reach out to friends, family, and loved ones. I was reminded that humanity is in this fight together and that having feelings of loneliness, anxiety, or even despair are normal during this time. Learning that others, all across the world, are experiencing the same things that I am experiencing has brought me peace of mind.

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