We are officially one month into 2021. And as we were entering the new year, I wanted to reflect on some of the positive things to have come out of the past year with the COVID-19 pandemic changing our everyday lives. It has certainly been an adventure to watch the way the world has changed over the course of the virus. From work to school to our social lives, I’m not sure there’s a single person who has been completely unaffected by the new climate of our society. In my last blog post I talked about some of the films that have been made as a result of Covid, which gave me a chance to reflect on some of the positives to come out of this pandemic. And in hopes of getting others to reflect on some of the positive things that came out of this year, I reached out to the Ryerson community to ask; “What are some moments we would not have seen if not for the global pandemic?” So here are a few of the things people came up with:
The first thing that people expressed was a result of Covid, was the boom in creativity. One student specifically brought up the Ratatouille Tik Tok Musical. A musical that TikTok creators came together and wrote tracks for based on the 2007 animated Disney Pixar film Ratatouille. This creation came to life from the social media app to a digital live performance featuring some well known performers who brought these iconic animated characters to life.
Another student commented on how we have found some interesting digital ways to stay connected to our friends and family. Many discovered Netflix Party (which is now Teleparty), a chrome extension where you can synchronize video from streaming sites with your friends and watch on your own screens from home in time with one another. Skribbl.io, an online game where people can log on, and play a virtual drawing and guessing game quite similar to pictionary. Among us, another online multiplayer game that became very popular in recent months. As well as many other virtual games and social media platforms that have allowed people to connect with one another from home.
Most of all, students reflected on what they were able to do with their own time at home. One person spoke to how staying home allowed them to save money, and put that money into purchasing craft tools for them to be artistic with. Another, talked about the opportunity they had to work with friends on creating an animated web series. Their series has given them the chance to be creative, and now that they have gained viewers they have been able to turn it into a podcast and are working on their second animated season. And one other student talked about having time with themselves that allowed them to learn to enjoy their own company, giving them more self-confidence and self-validation. So with that, I hope that when people look back on this past year they are able to recall some of the positive things that have come out of this otherwise difficult and stressful time.
