For many, 2020 was a year of social distancing and other challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the less-discussed phenomena born from the 2020 pandemic is weakened social skills in adults.

In Kate Murphy’s New York Times article entitled “We’re All Socially Awkward Now,” this topic was discussed with experts. 

“This daily interacting with individuals out in the world gives you a sense of belonging and security that comes from feeling you are part of, or have access to, a wider community and network,” said Stefan Hofmann, a professor of psychology at Boston University. “Social isolation slashes that network.”

The article explains why it is “important to block out time every day to connect with others, whether through a socially distanced chat, telephone call or, at the very least, a thoughtful text.” 

Giving the Old College Try; Wayne State University Students Manage Remote Learning in COVID-19 Pandemic

“A lot of my communication skills have had to adapt to being online,” said junior Wayne State University communications major, Elizabeth Ryan, 21. “I think my eye contact with others has gotten worse because I’m not as social as I used to be.”

Ryan, an active communications student, says that she “was living a normal life before COVID. I would go to parties, concerts, out to eat and work.” 

Also engaged in Wayne State University Public Relations Student Society of America, Ryan says she now engages with her friends, family and professional organization virtually as many as nine times a week.

“I don’t really leave the house right now unless I absolutely have to… I don’t really talk to a lot of people,” says senior public relations student Rebecca Ableson, 25. “One nice thing is, my family and I started a monthly zoom call with all my extended family. That gives a reason to see someone, at least on a screen.”

“Communication is what I live for, so not having a lot of ways to incorporate that in my life is a little bit challenging,” says Ableson. “When I don’t have the opportunity to meet new people, it really affects my mental health, which is why I’ve had to focus more on myself.”

In 2020, Wayne State University began offering classes in many formats, including hybrid, remote synchronous and asynchronous, to accommodate social distancing guidelines. Wayne State University’s winter 2021 semester started with the suspension of all in-person classes through Jan. 31, 2021.

More information regarding Wayne State’s COVID-19 response can be found here.