TACKLING TECH
By Evan Campbell
Video games outlets for socialization
when virus demands distance
W
hat a difference a
couple of months
makes. I mean,
that’s an under-
statement. When I
discussed how videoconferencing was
a lifeline for keeping in touch with my
mother while she’s battling cancer in my
last column, I couldn’t fathom this form
of digital connection would be necessary
for the entirety of the United States.
But that’s the way of things during this
coronavirus pandemic. Physical contact
outside our immediate families isn’t just
frowned upon. It can be a death sentence
to ourselves and others. So, to help
bridge that social divide, we must all
look to digital solutions.
6
May / June 2020
Google Hangouts has served as a
meeting place for my closest college
friends and myself for years. But now
we’re gathering there together on a
weekly basis because of COVID-19.
Apple FaceTime isn’t just utilized to chat
with my mom currently. My wife and I
are now videoing my brother’s family,
my daughter’s daycare teacher and others
to keep in touch. And recorded videos
and pictures are being shared on a con-
sistent basis with my in-laws.
It’s not just the lack of socializing
that’s negatively impacted me, though.
My anxiety has spiked. Thankfully, one
of the most peaceful and relaxing video
game franchises returned near the end
of March — Animal Crossing: New
Horizons. Available
on Nintendo Switch,
the game lets you
hang out with human-
oid critters, go fishing
and dig for fossils.
This probably sounds
like busywork, but
it’s like a massage
followed by a bath
for my body and mind.
Seriously, something just washes over
me as I check in on my island residence
and inhabitants each day in Animal
Crossing. The game follows real-world
time. Thus, if I jump in at 2 p.m. during
my daughter’s nap, it’s also 2 o’clock
on Wavepoint (the name of my digital