Panther Prints | Issue 4 | May 2020

@PESHPRINTS Feature • 11
human touch, some students anticipate
relying more on concrete methods to
connect with others.
“Your first instinct is to hug [a friend]
or shake their hand,” Morris said. “I
might be more hesitant to do that right
now, [but] in the future I might do it
more. I miss having physical contact
with people.”
Social psychology professor at the
University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Paul Paulus believes younger generations
will value face-to-face interactions
over texting, calling or social media because
those interactions are an integral
part of their development.
“There are no substitutes for face-toface
gatherings with family, meetings or
classroom settings,” Paulus said. “Many
of the formative things that help young
people develop their self esteem, self
image [and] who they are are being inhibited
by this process. When they become
free of [social distancing], they’re
going to go back quickly to [getting] the
experience that’s so critical in forming
[their] identity.”
While social distancing, junior Jacob
Roy says he realized the importance of
face-to-face communication and looks
forward to continuing that.
“I feel like as good as texting [friends]
and talking to them on the phone is,
[communicating virtually] doesn’t capture
all the emotion,” Roy said. “Even
though COVID-19 has disrupted the way
we’ve communicated, I think as soon as
we’re able to, we’re going to resume like
it was before. I think most of us
prefer seeing each other
in person.”
Alterations in attitudes
ith Spectrum offering free access
Wto the internet for student households,
school districts providing free
meals to students in need, and individuals
rallying to support small businesses,
this pandemic has shown the
lengths people will go to to help others.
Paulus identifies this behavior as
a way for people to stay close while
social distancing.
“I think [helping others] is a very positive
thing both for you and for the other
people involved,” Paulus
said. “Altruism
comes out
more [in situations
like this]
53%
when we see
the needs in
others. [Helping
others] is a
way of coping
[and] it creates of students
this common said they will be more
bond.”
hesitant to shake
According people’s hands, high five
to Cervantes, others, etc. in the future
the increased
out of 710 students polled
role of social
media since
the last pandemic — the swine flu in
2009 — is why she believes this pandemic
has seen an increase in compassion.
“We just didn’t have this level of connectivity
as far as being able to use
Facebook and Twitter,” Cervantes said. “I
think we’re definitely at a benefit during
this pandemic that we are so connected,
at least virtually, because we get an understanding
of how this impacts us all. It
does make us a little bit more empathetic
to others’ situation[s].”
Paulus hopes people will continue to
practice selflessness and consideration
for others after social distancing
measures lift.
“I think we’ve learned
just how dependent we
are [on each other],”
Paulus said.
“In the past, terrible events have made
culture better and [help people] better
together. That’s my hope.”
Director of the Graduate Program for
Public Health at UTA Erin Carlson draws
parallels between the 1918 flu and
COVID-19. Because of the similar governmental
action between these diseases,
Carlson believes this pandemic will
yield a similar response.
“As far as lasting change, [the pandemic]
is going to humble us,” Carlson
said. “[With the 1918 flu], they learned
what they could figure out on their own
in their own homes and w e ’ r e
38%
of students
said they are more
likely to be religious or
spiritual because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
doing the same thing, so it’s going to
make us more self-sufficient.”
Some students plan to find more time
to spend with friends and family.
“I definitely think I’m not going to
take seeing my friends and going out
with them for granted anymore,” Morris
said. “I definitely am going to appreciate
[having] more time with my family and
friends.”
Cervantes believes older generations
are already accustomed to their way of
life whereas younger generations are
more likely to make changes in regards
to their attitude toward maintaining
proper health, helping others, and finding
a balance between technology and
time spent with family and friends.
“This will affect the way [younger
generations] do business and the way
[they] see the world much more,” Cervantes
said. “[Young people] are going to
be the leaders of our future, so [they] are
probably going to be able to institute
those changes.”