There will likely come a point next year when you feel like unplugging the computer, and not looking at another screen for at least two months. Moving our entire experience online – learning, teaching, socialising and entertainment – has been both saviour and torturer during lockdown.
Gladly, an end is – just about – in sight. That said, there will be at least a few more months in which many of us will have to continue our ‘very online’ pandemic lives. One of the many downsides of lockdown has been the extent to which a small number of large tech companies have managed to profit at the expense of local businesses and communities. To help offset the doom-scrolling, impulse purchases and an over-reliance on fast food deliveries, here are seven online resolutions to help make it through 2021.
- Support musicians
Unsurprisingly, the music industry has been one of the worst affected over the last 12 months. In the age of streaming, touring became many artists only major source of income. Music streaming platform Bandcamp distinguishes itself by offering a more equitable division of profits, as well a regularly waiving their fees during the pandemic. It’s quite likely that your favourite musicians have a page, as well as thousands you haven’t heard of yet. I also recommend tuning in to the Bandcamp Weekly show to hear a mix of hip hop, jazz, world music etc., all while avoiding UK news bulletins.
2. Read long form
The experience of reading online has not improved over time: pop ups, requests for cookies, auto-play videos, live blogs, and clickbait all make for a frustrating experience. Thankfully there are some sites that have crearted uncluttered, long form reading experiences. Aeon – ‘publishing some of the most profound and provocative thinking on the web’ – features articles by academics on linguistics, philosophy, science and many other topics. English teachers may be interested in The Paradox of Articulation or Punctuation is Dead. Two other sites worth a view are Medium, the calmer and more measured younger sibling of the rambunctious Twitter, and Longform which – unsurprisingly – gathers all the best long form writing on the web.
2. Make friends
Lockdown has given social media a resurgence with many of us finding refuge in Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and more recently TikTok. People have had little choice but to ignore their deep unease in order to keep connected with family and friends. More ethical competitors to the big players have fallen by the wayside, but a few smaller-scale alternatives are finding a foothold. NextDoor, MeetUp and CitySocialiser all offer a more localised, interests based form of social media, but are all really designed around face-to-face meetings. One app perfectly suited for the current predicament is Slowly which emulates old fashioned letter writing. Users are matched with pen pals from around the world, and missives are artificially delayed to mimic the authentic experience, encouraging more considered writing. So far, I’ve started correspondence with people in the UK, USA, Mexico, Turkey and the Philippines.
3. Read comics
There’s not really a good reason for this being on the list, but I’m a fan of this overlooked medium. Comic books and graphic novels provide endless escapism and creative experimentation, two things which are much needed antidote to the monotony of lockdown. Aside from its low-brow reputation, more tangible downsides to comics are their relative expense and bulkiness. Thanks to ComiXology, this no longer need be an issue. ComiXology provides an extensive catalogue of comics (via Amazon), and an excellent reading experience perfectly suited for tablets. The Guided View feature even makes reading on a smartphone doable. To avoid superheroes and for a more literary experience, try Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, or Alan Moores’ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (cast the film adaptation from your mind).
4. Play a board game
Board games were experiencing a revival before the lockdown with a flurry of new titles rapidly replacing tired games like Cluedo or Monopoly, and board game cafes popping up around the country. Faster and better designed games like Spyfall, Codewords or Bananagrams became staples at pre-pandemic gatherings. Thanks to online board game simulators like Tabletopia, the trend can continue. These games are mapped onto a virtual table top, so there’s no slick animations or automations: to play the games, you still need to know the rules and deal out the cards and counters – but this only makes the experience more social. Santorini is a quick and accessible game that’s fun to try online.
5. Subscribe to some newsletters
Much like websites, email is another domain that has become less functional over time. An overflowing inbox, spam, hidden unsubscribe buttons, and inadvertently hitting ‘reply all’ are just some of the pitfalls. One benefit of email is its relative privacy and intimacy, which some outlets are taking advantage of. The newsletter platform Substack is at the heart of this resurgence, featuring a slimmed down and uncluttered reading experience. Newsletters like The Magnet and Recomendo are a welcome dose of quite interesting news and recommendations. Try Exponential View for a more mind-bending update on everything we can expect in the 21st century. My nascent newsletter on English, education and edtech can be found here.
6. Watch some comedy
Like the music industry, comedy has had a bruising pandemic. Despite this, many comedians have taken to social media to lampoon this unforgettable year, highlighting how video and social media really can connect people in both empathy and despair. Some of my favourites have been Alistair Green’s carnival of snide characters, Josh Berry’s Conservative Party adviser, and Munya Chawawa’s r’n’b send ups of lockdown. Hopefully, the online clamour translates to irl success, but in the meantime paying for the comedy we enjoy will help to bridge the gap. Comedians will often have a Patreon or similar on their social media, or try Show and Tell who ran many online gigs over the last year.
7. Get organised
I already gave some advice on staying organised here – an essential skills for any teacher. In that article I advocated some offline approaches, but given how very online this year has been, I’ve found myself using a few new apps. After getting frustrated with the pile up that was my bookmark bar, I decided to impose some order. Pocket is great for keeping a hold of and organising articles you want to read at some point, instead of letting them clutter your tabs. Raindrop.io is similar, but better suited for saving and cataloguing bookmarks, and much more intuitive than most browsers. Things3 is a comprehensive but pricey investment that acts as a to-do list with a number of powerful features like search, nesting, categories and deadlines (I saved the boring one til last).
Hopefully, some of these can make your final stint of lockdown and WFH slightly more bearable. If there’s any you think I’ve missed, let me know in the comments.
See you in 2021.
LPearceLearning 