Uncertainty Makes Me A Smartphone Addict
Finding Solace in Live Updates
Photo by Bruno Moretti from Pexels
Not sure about the rest of you, but my mind has been pretty preoccupied with the COVID-19 these last few days. Perhaps it’s because I’m pregnant, or because my spouse is traveling abroad at the moment. Or maybe it’s because the news around the virus has been downright frightening (and maybe it’s frightening by design?). Either way, I’ve been finding myself reaching for my phone much more often—because this little device has all the answers, right?
I remember when things were really tough with my father’s illness and my phone was my connection to doctors and his medical care. I clung to it like a lifeline, something to hold onto amidst the uncertainty and scariness of what was going on around me—that which I couldn’t control.
Something about my behavior these days reminds me of the desperation I felt months ago: desperate for answers, and desperately addicted to an advice which offers some semblance of truth.
The problem is, I’m not really finding solace in the articles I’m reading while nervously pacing my kitchen in the middle of the night. In fact, I think I’m more stressed out as a result. (Uhhh, definitely.) And I’m not only refreshing the New York Times coronavirus landing page; I’m googling everything under the sun. Every question that pops into my head—every uncertainty—must be quelled. Could this is a symptom of pregnancy? Perhaps. But also, anxiety breeds an unrelenting need for certainty (in my case).
There’s comfort in information, but only to a certain extent. So, when does information become overkill?
Hurricane season in Florida, for example. That’s certainly a time when the media goes berserk. We go through hurricane season every year so us Floridians should know the drill by now. Although living in a hurricane zone freaks out my German husband, hurricanes were a normal part of my childhood and upbringing. By and large, I know what to expect when a hurricane approaches; it’s time to fill the bathtub and batten down the hatches.
My father also engrained in me that there was only one definitive source for information when it came to hurricanes and that was NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I’ve since carried on his tradition of checking their updates every six hours. The overhyped news channels are all getting their info from these official advisories, so why not go directly to the source?
The problem with our current public health crisis is our collective lack of experience around this type of phenomenon. I know there have been similar outbreaks in the past, but not a major one in my lifetime. Okay, well maybe a few--but those were before our insane around-the-clock news cycle was created! I remember them vaguely registering on my radar but perhaps I was too young to get bitten by the worry bug.
Unlike a hurricane, the COVID-19 can’t be seen with our bare eye. There’s no timeline for its arrival or “cone of uncertainty,” although my scientist friend would disagree; she’s been performing statistical analyses to determine when Europe and the U.S. will start quarantining people on a large-scale.
What’s NOAA in this case? The CDC? The WHO? Where can I go to get information that’s not tainted with alarm? Also, what can I do to find true solace amidst the low-grade panic? I think the answer is pretty easy. Take a long walk and throw my smartphone into the canal.
So, what came first? Hysteria or live updates? I’m sure people were feeling pretty hysterical during the Spanish influenza, but at least they weren’t tweeting (and meme-ing) about it!
Tip of the Week
Throw your smartphone into a canal? Stop looking for answers in all the wrong places? Sorry, y'all. Not in a place to be handing out tips right now!
Digital Life Around the Web
The World Health Organization makes a TikTok account to fight misinformation about COVID-19... not as fun as these corona virus memes!
The internet's response to the CDC's recommendation to STOP TOUCHING YOUR FACE.
A moving comic about cooking (and posting) while under quarantine.
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