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For the foreseeable future, were officially in an era ofsocial distancing.
Richard Drury / Getty Images
Necessary though it may be to put your social life on hold, its not easy.
So, creative we will get!
Here are a few ways my friends, my coworkers, and I are keeping our social lives alive.
like feel free to steal them.
Embrace video chatting and talking on the phone.
But it bears repeating!
Now is the time for aphone calland video-chat renaissance!
(Just confirm you talk about thingsotherthancoronavirus panicsometimes, okay?)
With a little creativity, a lot of the ways we socialize can be adapted to a virtual form.
Keep traditions alive by, say, logging into Google Hangouts when youd normally hit up happy hour.
Keep friends on the phone/screen even when youre not actively chatting.
No pandemic is going to suddenly make me the bang out of person who wants to constantly socially engage.
Movie night doesnt have to be a thing of the past just because of a little social distancing.
Or it’s possible for you to just skip specialty apps and figure out what works for you.
Personally, Im obsessed with how my friendMashableentertainment reporterAlexis Neddis handling her social streaming.
We timed pressing play and watched the whole thing.
Get a pen pal.
Now might not seem like the easiest time to meet new people but…why not?
Have virtual game nights.
TheJackbox Party Packis basically made for the era of social distancing.
Lifehacker also has alist of popular board games you’ve got the option to play onlinewith friends.
Yep, chatrooms still exist.
Theyve just gotten a little more modern.
I recommend starting withSlackandDiscordto find potential communities right now.
It might take a little legwork to find a Slack community (or workspace) thats right for you.
For example, the popular online media support groupStudy Hallhas a Slack plenty of my friends enjoy.
Swap from texts to voice or video messages.
If youre still not sold on this new emphasis on video chatting, I feel you.
I only enjoy it in small doses too.
The rest of the time, I prefer the bite-size communication of voice memos or video texts.
Get into a role-playing game (RPG).
Keep an eye out for weird and creative online events.
But in this new, unprecedented period of social distancing, people are getting creative, and itsawesome.
), where Im boosting all the remote social opportunities I see.
Honestly, even if the circumstances arent great, Im a little excited to see whats to come.
