Why a Pandemic Is Bringing Out Our Best Online – The New York Times

April 1, 2020

Welcome to On Tech, a daily newsletter on how technology is changing all of our lives — for better or worse.

By Shira Ovide

April 1, 2020

Hello and welcome! The pandemic has turned everything we know upside down, and we are relying on technology more than ever to work, go to school, stay informed, entertain ourselves and stay connected to people we love.

I’m Shira Ovide (pronounced OH-vee-day), and I’ll be your guide each weekday to how technology is transforming our lives and world — for better or worse. I’ve been writing about technology for the better part of a decade. I’m also a native Ohioan, a very bad cyclist and an enthusiastic tweeter.

There will be pieces about how technology is helping us stay close and protected — or not — during the pandemic. There will be insights into how big technology companies are dealing with our changing online lives. There will be tales of people doing the best they can with virtual life. I promise you will find joy and oddities here, too.

Many of you will note some familiar faces, like Charlie Warzel and Brian X. Chen; they and other stellar Times journalists will provide context for our strange times. Tell your friends (and your enemies) to sign up here. And we’ll have fabulous illustrations thanks to our visual editor, Jaspal Riyait.

You’re probably unsettled about the health and resilience of your friends, families, neighbors, country and world. Me too. Let’s feel our way through this together.

If you have feedback, please send it our way at ontech@nytimes.com.

So the internet is good now? Did you forget about everything you’ve ever written?

Kevin: It’s not so much that “the internet” is “good” now — these tools haven’t changed, after all — but I do think we’ve seen people using the internet in a more pro-social way, which is great. I hope it lasts!

Maybe people are more kind in a crisis. Then we’ll go back to being horrible to each other afterward?

Kevin: That may be inevitable. But I hope we remember this feeling, and the ways we’re generating it.

And I hope the tech companies that are intervening to improve the quality of the information on their websites and apps will … keep doing that! It’s nice to live in a more pleasant virtual neighborhood.

What can all of us do to keep this neighborhood pleasant?

Kevin: I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I think the answer is we need to contribute more, and lurk less. In normal times, we — and I include myself — are much more passive about using the internet. There’s some research that shows we’re happier when we use social media actively rather than passively scrolling.

The more good people use social media, the less the bad people are able to commandeer the megaphone. Now it’s not only the cranks and opportunists who are getting amplified — it’s also doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and people organizing face mask drives.

But doctors won’t keep posting forever. And does the world really need Instagram photos of my boring oatmeal breakfast?

Kevin: Yes, be boring! We’re all getting barraged with horrible news all day. We should all be legally required to post photos of our boring breakfasts. It’s what people used to knock Instagram for — “oh, it’s just people posting their avocado toast.” But honestly, that sounds amazing right now — imagine, an all-avocado-toast social network!

There are many people who need to work outside the home right now: doctors and nurses, postal carriers, online shopping warehouse workers, taxi drivers, autoworkers, supermarket employees. They might need the work — and we need the essential services they’re providing. But their jobs put them in harm’s way from being around other people, and potentially transmit illness to their families and others in their communities.

Some of them, including people who work for Amazon and the grocery delivery service Instacart, have been holding walkouts or other actions to demand higher pay, more safety measures including sanitation supplies, better communication with their bosses and more options to take off work if they’re sick.

These are not new issues in the United States, as the former New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse writes for our Opinion section, but they are more stark in a global crisis. What do companies, governments and all of us owe these workers? This is a question I’m wrestling with, and will be returning to often.

The first rule of pandemic life: THERE ARE NO RULES. “I have thrown off the shackles of screen-time guilt,” the Times reporter Nellie Bowles writes — hilariously. “My television is on. My computer is open. My phone is unlocked, glittering. I want to be covered in screens.”
“I met a ghost on my island who gave me a bidet.” Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the cheerful virtual world game we need right now. And the Verge has a sweet story about college students holding virtual graduations for “Quaranteen University” and recreating campus life in the Minecraft video game.
The pandemic is inflicting pain on many technology start-ups and their employees at a speed that defies comparisons, my colleague Erin Griffith writes. I’ll have more about this in tomorrow’s newsletter.

Hugs to this

Rico the Brazilian porcupine. He loves apricots. He used to be bad at climbing, but now he’s not. This is a hopeful message! (The Cincinnati Zoo, which is doing daily virtual home safaris, was a frequent field trip spot for me as a kid.)

Please drop me a line about what is keeping you entertained, productive or calm(-ish) right now. Is there a great TikTok account or online concert others should know about? Share your finds at ontech@nytimes.com. We may feature some in upcoming newsletters.

Please let us know what you think of this newsletter at ontech@nytimes.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.

- How does coronavirus spread?
  
  It seems to spread very easily from person to person, especially in homes, hospitals and other confined spaces. The pathogen can be carried on tiny respiratory droplets that fall as they are coughed or sneezed out. It may also be transmitted when we touch a contaminated surface and then touch our face.
- What makes this outbreak so different?
  
  Unlike the flu, there is no known treatment or vaccine, and little is known about this particular virus so far. It seems to be more lethal than the flu, but the numbers are still uncertain. And it hits the elderly and those with underlying conditions — not just those with respiratory diseases — particularly hard.
- What should I do if I feel sick?
  
  If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
- What if somebody in my family gets sick?
  
  If the family member doesn’t need hospitalization and can be cared for at home, you should help him or her with basic needs and monitor the symptoms, while also keeping as much distance as possible, according to guidelines issued by the C.D.C. If there’s space, the sick family member should stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom. If masks are available, both the sick person and the caregiver should wear them when the caregiver enters the room. Make sure not to share any dishes or other household items and to regularly clean surfaces like counters, doorknobs, toilets and tables. Don’t forget to wash your hands frequently.
- Should I wear a mask?
  
  Experts are divided on how much protection a regular surgical mask, or even a scarf, can provide for people who aren’t yet sick. The W.H.O. and C.D.C. say that unless you’re already sick, or caring for someone who is, wearing a face mask isn’t necessary. And stockpiling high-grade N95 masks will make it harder for nurses and other workers to access the resources they need. But researchers are also finding that there are more cases of asymptomatic transmission than were known early on in the pandemic. And a few experts say that masks could offer some protection in crowded places where it is not possible to stay 6 feet away from other people. Masks don’t replace hand-washing and social distancing.
- Should I stock up on groceries?
  
  Plan two weeks of meals if possible. But people should not hoard food or supplies. Despite the empty shelves, the supply chain remains strong. And remember to wipe the handle of the grocery cart with a disinfecting wipe and wash your hands as soon as you get home.
- Should I pull my money from the markets?
  
  That’s not a good idea. Even if you’re retired, having a balanced portfolio of stocks and bonds so that your money keeps up with inflation, or even grows, makes sense. But retirees may want to think about having enough cash set aside for a year’s worth of living expenses and big payments needed over the next five years.
- What should I do with my 401(k)?
  
  Watching your balance go up and down can be scary. You may be wondering if you should decrease your contributions — don’t! If your employer matches any part of your contributions, make sure you’re at least saving as much as you can to get that “free money.”