Faceless interaction impacts social dynamics in the times of Covid-19

PUNE: The Covid-19 pandemic reconfigured the basic tenets of communication when daily interaction broadly shifted base to the digital sphere and underwent changes to be conveyed solely through pixels, codes and audio waves.
Online communication was embraced with open arms to maintain some semblance of normalcy in a ‘socially distanced’ world. Masks came off inside homes and people breathed easy in front of screens, but only initially.
Almost 10 months since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, the world has moved on for people amid lost lives, crashing economies and job losses.
Psychiatrist N Rangarajan, member of the Indian Medical Association, said, “Any activity, be it educational or occupational, involves socialization. Meeting people and discussions help develop a healthy bond among peers. Lack of physical contact with a friend or peer for a prolonged period will have a telling impact on one’s development in the longer run. The quality of social relationships will not be very rewarding either.That said, where physical contact is restricted and discouraged, you have to make the best of whatever is available.”
Those with jobs either braved the virus outdoors or battled technology that rendered people faceless in an era of switched-off videos and muted calls indoors. Approximately 80% human interaction is believed to be through body language.
“I know of my peers virtually but I don’t really know them. I talk to them only about work,” said a corporate communication fresher at an IT company, who joined work from home, without ever setting foot in an office.
Senior manager with an education company, Shikha Gaba said, “A lot of trust goes into working as a team, which is difficult without prior rapport. The bigger picture is hazy for new recruits. The amount of documentation and communication has increased but personal interaction has taken a step back. I try to have one non-essential conversation with my recruits at least once a week to put them at ease.”
A majority of non-verbal cues are fuelled by the subconscious and are important indicators to determine mood, thought processes, intentions, and more.
“Once I climbed up the learning curve of technology, the real challenge I faced was human. Zoom sessions felt impersonal. Interaction and energy levels were low and not being able to read faces behind switched-off video screens meant I was flying blind without the kind of feedback that offline classes thrive on. Recording videos felt like delivering Hamlet soliloquies to an empty theatre,” said associate professor at Delhi School of Economics Parikshit Ghosh.
History professor at the University of Manchester Anindita Ghosh expressed similar views.
“Online learning feeds loneliness and solitary learning can never be a fruitful experience. Discussion, argumentation and presentation, basic skills underpinning employability, cannot be acquired holistically in a virtual world,” she said.
With the pandemic, people have come a full circle where instead of leaving the nest they have been forced to roost there a while longer.
“I have grown accustomed to this new normal. I embarked on a new academic journey but the campus buzz is amiss. A rigorous curriculum, coupled with staring at a laptop screen 12-16 hours a day takes a toll,” said Pankaj Joshi, an MBA student attending online classes from his home in Dehradun.