The essence of this blog post isn’t to bore you, Ms.Rona / Coro is doing just that to everyone. Just a few weeks ago, everyone was looking over their Q1 goals and planning various activities for the next quarter. We weren’t however prepared for the shock of a virus that was going to cause a worldwide pandemic. The outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has created a need for people to self-isolate and practice social distancing because of how fast the virus spreads. Most recently, the Federal Government of Nigeria has instituted a lockdown in Lagos and Abuja to ensure the virus is contained, joining countries such as Italy, Spain, United Kingdom et.c. who have already locked down.
During this lockdown period, everyone seems to be facing one global problem which is BOREDOM because of restriction on movement. Humans as social beings need interactions to survive mentally. For some people, their social life is woven around the church, workplace or school or around parties, concerts and clubs.
As the lockdown primarily affects these places, a few social media apps seem to have become the wave during this period to combat boredom. We will be naming a few of these apps and how they are coming in handy.
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Instagram Live:
People are beginning to appreciate the importance of this particular piece of Instagram goodness right now. It has brought celebrities together, entertaining us in various phases such as live mini-concert on their Instagram pages. John Legend and his wife put out a piano moment, showing us a little bit of romance in these dark times. Asa, Pink, Coldplay, Charlie Puth and several others put out various live concerts as well. The DJs haven’t been left out of the rave, a lot of them have displayed their mix- up skills by helping the Lagos night lifers jam up in their houses at night.
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Twitter:
Tweeps are trending hashtags where people are telling Nigerian #MyPandemicSurvivalPlan stories, their #WorkfromHome stories, and throwing numerous challenges such as #DontRushChallenge. Also, a few Nigerian celebrities and influencers have done giveaways this period on Twitter, keeping their followers engaged and excited.
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Triller:
This app is basically for you and your friends to make beautiful videos together. A lot of creativity has come out of this app that some of us are thinking that maybe this self-isolation is good for something.
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HouseParty:
This app allows you to throw a house party with your friends, you can also play games and avoid the intrusion of a normal house party by locking your rooms.
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TikTok:
I saved the best for last. This is the “self-isolation app of the pandemic”. The content that has been churned out of this lip-synching app shows how creative we are as a people. A lot of videos have been shot through this app, and even medical practitioners on the front line of this pandemic have given us helpful content through this app.
I hope these applications help you find a way through this period and keep you entertained. Don’t be shy to join the challenges, you might be making someone smile. Remember to stay safe and wash your hands. Social distancing is still a thing, stay at home.
Timileyin Soyemi
Content Writer