Problematic Pandemic Posts

Are we making the Pandemic more toxic by what we post online? 

As we enter into the second month of the United States’ response to the global Coronavirus Pandemic, I have frequently encountered three dysfunctional kinds of problematic Pandemic posts on social media: Productivity, Positivity, and Protest. The “productivity” response tells us to go above and beyond with creative responses, to make things as normal as possible, and mimic pre-pandemic life virtually. The response to any and every problem is “DO MORE STUFF!” The “positivity” response tells us to look on the bright side of this crisis to find all the hidden blessings, and if we pray hard and believe sincerely, things will turn out just fine. The  response to any and every problem is “BE HAPPY!” The “protest” response looks for someone to blame for how bad things have gotten, and if only “they” did it differently we wouldn’t be in this mess. The response to any and every problem is “COMPLAIN LOUDER!” All of these are a form of denial that pushes away reality so we don’t have to deal with it. 

Race Cars, Pandemics, and Economics

If we want to have a global interconnected society that can survive shocks like pandemics, we are learning that all people everywhere need basic access to nourishment, healthcare, and communications. Without it, every institution, from schools to businesses to entire economies, grinds to a halt.