This episode of the Sociological POV podcast examines how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped social interaction, contrasting the hosts’ once-active social lives with the isolation experienced during lockdowns. Through personal anecdotes, they highlight the emotional toll of disconnection and critique the growing reliance on digital communication, particularly its potential impact on younger generations’ social skills. The discussion also explores the lingering hesitation many people now feel when initiating conversations or forming new relationships, a challenge increasingly visible in educational settings where students are often reluctant to engage with instructors or peers.

Website: Social Science and Humanities Department at LCC

Welcome to the Sociological POV. This podcast emerged from some fascinating discussions in an introductory sociology course at Lansing Community College, where we attempt to gain insight into other people's perspectives, the good, the bad, and the world around us. We hope to mirror that concept with this podcast as we welcome a range of voices from diverse backgrounds to share their thoughts on a current event or topic that matters. So with that said, let's get into it and start gaining perspective.

All right, welcome back, guys. I'm so glad we're all here.

And we're going to be talking about social interaction and how the COVID pandemic changed that. That's what we're talking about today.

And social interaction is something important and looked at in sociology because it's how you exchange culture and it's how you maintain a social structure. So there's your little lecture for today.

Okay, so the first thing I wanted to ask you guys is, how did your social interaction change once the pandemic started?

So when the pandemic started for me, I think I was in, like, eighth grade year, or I was about to go into my freshman year of high school, and I was like, oh, this is so cool. Like, I had, like, a lot of friends.

Like, I just started making friends after being the weird kid for, like, three years, and I was, like, so excited, and I was like, we can just hang out all throughout this two weeks. And then as soon as, like, it just, like, actually, like, started happening, like, we were, like, quarantine and everything.

They all stopped talking to me, and I just had no friends. Right. But, like, this was, like, the age where it's like my.

Like, I had my own phone, and, like, I was kind of growing into, like, not my womanhood, but, like, I was kind of growing into, like, myself, you know? And so there was a bunch of apps on. I don't even know. Like, there was an app called Wiz, Right?

And so it's like, it's like, basically Tinder for kids. Okay. And that's how back then, that's not how I saw it, but now that I'm looking back at it, that's what it was.

And so it's like, you'd go on this app and, like, you'd just be swiping left and right on people to, like, become friends with them. Right?

But, like, a lot of the times I found myself in situations where it's like I was, like, 13, 14, talking to, like, 19 year olds, and those were my friends because I had no other friends.

And it was all virtual, like, yeah,

I never met them or anything like that. But like, not looking back, it's super weird. But in that moment, I was like, oh, it's not weird. They just want to be friends, you know?

So it was pretty quick going from having all these friends in person to only being online and having friends only online.

Yes.

Wow, that is a big change. Yeah. What about you, Eric?

So it was before quarantine. I was in college here in lcc, learning, actually learning English. And most of my friends were international students. I didn't actually have like.

I didn't have like, local friends, like born and raised Michiganders. So when quarantine came, most of my friends just flew away to their countries because it was like, it's online classes.

And I was like, what do I do now?

And you stayed here?

Yeah, I stayed here.

Okay.

I moved by my aunt. So it was a house all day, every day, just working. But I didn't make friends at my work because they were most old people. I mean, it was okay.

It was just a normal relationship. It wasn't like close friends, like friends to hang out or do things.

But at some point you felt comfortable, like, not talking that much with people, just playing video games at night or with your. I mean, I used to play friends video games with my friends from Peru. It was just like an online interaction every day.

And that was it the whole, what year? Nine months, 11 months until. Yeah, we had to go back to normality. And it was hard. Like, I didn't know what to say to people. And I think my.

My English was even more broken than now. And I was. I was ashamed or shy to speak openly. First because the social, normal interaction. And second, because of my English, it was like, gotcha.

So those, those two factors were like, yeah, very important.

That was coming back from kind of the isolation where we started interacting with more people.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And it was very, very comfortable for me to not to talk with people. Just silence and watch.

Okay.

Yeah.

Did you feel like you started meeting more people as we started coming back to. In person?

Not really. I was very, like, hard to go back, so I would maintain my introvert.

Yeah, you kept with the isolated. Yeah. Okay.

So actually just last semester when I. When we met, that it was starting to. To openly be more social.

Okay. Yeah.

You sat next to me in class and I was like, hey, or I sit next to you or something. I don't know. I kind of. I might have forced that friendship.

That was a coincidence.

I couldn't force that friendship.

But.

Because when. When I saw she said that the same city.

I was like.

I was like, hey,

I didn't see her, but yeah. Okay.

That.

So it was like after Kobe, like three. Three years.

Yeah.

Just being.

Yeah.

Away from.

Yeah. Because it was easier.

It was easier, yeah.

Yeah.

Well, being easier, it doesn't mean that it was good. It felt bad.

I gotcha.

Yeah.

You didn't want it to be that way.

Not really, but it was easier.

Yeah. I understand. Yeah. How about you? When. When we came back in person, I

feel like when we came back in person, I kind of had like a whole new friend group and. Cause it's like freshman year started or not freshman year, sophomore year started or whatever year. I went back. Okay.

Early high school, I started becoming friends with my friend Gabby and then my friend Ayla, and then I fell into their friend group and I instantly gained five friends. And those friends have been my friends even to this day. Like, I'm living with them right now.

So it's like, I think I got really lucky in that sense that all of my old friends kind of ditched me, you know, and like, I was able to find an amazing friend group. But I feel like coming back from COVID I started Mask a lot. Like, I wasn't being my normal self.

I was kind of like I was trying to fit in, you know, I wanted people to think that I was like them so I could fit into their group. And that took me like two years to like fully get out of and be comfortable around my friends.

But now I feel like I'm at a point where, like, I really don't care how people see me. You know, if you like me, you're gonna like me.

If you don't like me, I don't care, you know, because it's like, why would I want that energy in my life? But back then it was just like, it was totally different. I was a completely different person.

Before COVID Before COVID During COVID Like, I've been so many different people.

Yeah.

Do you think the pandemic like that, especially that year of not being in person, do you think that had an impact on who you are now, or do you think it would have happened either way?

Oh, absolutely. Because it's like during that time I got into like an online relationship with a guy, Right.

And that completely like messed up my whole everything about what a relationship was supposed to be like. And like, because of the age difference too.

Cause like I said, I was Talking to like 19 year olds, you know, so it's like I was just, I was really going through it.

And so it's like, I feel like if I wouldn't have gone through that time, I wouldn't be as maybe open and accepting as I am now, because I had to go through those hardships. Now I'm able to understand what other people go through.

That makes sense. What about you, Eric?

Do you feel like you kept some of the qualities that you had before the pandemic, or is there anything you're keeping because you, like a trait you picked up? Maybe some of the introspectiveness you have comes from sitting back and being quiet?

I like to observe.

Yeah. Was that before as well? Before the pandemic?

No, before pandemic, I think I was pretty normal. Very regular. My social interactions, like, just like, hi, hi, how are you? How's it going?

This is a normal, regular social classmate interaction, just like that, or people from Borges chatting about whatever is going on. But then he just. He just felt comfortable just to be in silence, and that was it. And either way, I. I didn't get, like.

I didn't accomplish to fit into the society here or the different societies here. So it was. I was like, I won't try it. Either way. I was just gonna be myself.

Yeah.

And that's it.

So it kind of did help you become more introspective a little bit. It seems like the. The pandemic, like, you're more, like, observing things. You got comfortable kind of sitting back and.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I observe a lot. And then I decide if I wanted to join or not or if I wanted to talk or not or. You wanted the person to be my friend or not.

Yeah.

And that helps me to. With the major I have, journalism, I just observe and just. Yeah, people.

People, when somebody does not talk, they don't realize somebody's there watching or something. It's kind of funny sometimes.

Mm. Yeah.

And, Alina, do you think, like, your experience of now not really caring and just being who you are, do you think that helps you connect with the sociology, anthropology stuff that we've been learning about?

Oh, yeah. Because I feel like I'm a very open, accepting person. Like, you can tell me whatever you want. You can have whatever belief that you want.

You can be whoever you are. Because I feel like I want to know what's going on, you know, I want to know why people are the way they are.

I want to know why they're interacting with other people the way that they are, and I want to know, like, kind of like what they're thinking almost. So I feel like I've always had that interest.

And especially since, like, my best friend Dakota, she's got her psych degree at msu, so she's very like, introspective. Like, she. She knows everything. Everything. It's crazy.

It's just I find that stuff so interesting, you know, it's like all the research that we did, the movies that we watched, and like different people that we learned about, like the different groups around the world that we learned about that interesting because it's like, it just like it makes sense to them. And that's crazy. You know, it's like the way that they live, it just makes sense to them and the way that we live makes sense to us.

And it's just like. It's just so crazy how we're all able to live, like different lives.

Yeah. Cool. So we're going to connect this to education because that's where we all are is at lcc. That's how we met too, at school.

So how do you think the pandemic affected your learning experience overall?

It made it harder. It made it harder, at least for me.

Okay.

Because since I don't made that much friends on my classes.

Okay.

It's hard to catch up what's going on when I'm missing something.

Oh, okay.

Yeah. I have in my. Just this ams. In my job, in my geology class, I. I didn't make any friends.

It's kind of funny because there was a whole line when just the first day, the whole group, different group, they just met that day and they were.

Became.

They became best friends that day.

Okay.

Like, I mean, I wanted to be there.

Yeah.

But I was too shy to reach.

But what about interacting with the teacher?

Because that's something I noticed that changed during the pandemic and then has stayed the same, is that students are much more reluctant to reach out and talk to the teacher.

My teacher was an old man. Like a very. How would I say, like a very normal, formal old teacher, all male teacher. Like very. There was a distance between teacher.

It's hard to reach.

Not hard to reach. He was very open to reach. But everything was just chill. Just. Just normal. Nothing special. I mean, if I had a question, he will answer.

And if I send him, it was the same talking to him or sending an email, at least for me.

Okay.

Because I knew. I realized some other students were more openly to solve because they were in the same field studying.

Okay.

So that also is a help, I think.

Okay.

But yeah, that was my thing when I. When I didn't. When I Was missing something from classes. I didn't know how to reach out. Like, yeah, yeah.

Well, I. That's why I feel like is students aren't, like, thinking, oh, okay, I missed something. I need to reach out. Who do I reach out to?

Oh, I'll reach out to my teacher.

Yeah, yeah. And also from anthropology, from our classroom. Anthropology.

There was one student, one classmate from the first day, and she asked me my numbers to exchange information from class. I was like, why do you need my number? But then I realized it was pretty very, very normal to ask numbers. Hey, can I have your number?

To just exchange information from classes? Blah, blah, blah.

So that's normal now. Yeah.

But for me, that day was like,

I think that's more normal now than it was before the pandemic to reach out and work with other students. And. And it's less normal to communicate with a teacher, which I think is interesting.

It's almost like a push away from interacting with the teacher, the authority.

I feel like that's because, like, for me personally, I don't like having to, like, email teachers. I don't really check. I don't check my email that often. I text a lot or it's like Snapchat, any social media platform, really.

So it's like being able to exchange that information with a student. It's like a quick like, oh, I'm seeing it pop up my phone, I'm seeing notification. I can respond right away.

But like, with, like, the teacher, it's like you have to go through the hassle of emailing them, and it has to be all formal. And then it's like, on top of that, you don't even know if they're gonna respond.

Like, my sociology teacher, she didn't respond for, like, two weeks when I asked her a question.

Okay.

And like, that class is completely online.

Yeah.

You know, so it's like, I don't want to email her again. I don't want to bug her. I don't want to become, like, a bad student. So I'm just gonna wait.

But then it's like that question doesn't even matter anymore, you know?

Right.

I feel like it's a lot easier. Like, in person. I usually, like, stay after and I'll ask you a question or, like, whatever questions I, like, build up in class.

I'll write them in a corner on my note page or whatever. But, like, it's just online, it's so much harder.

Yeah, that makes sense. So definitely hearing the immediate response is more normal now. And that's the technology Piece.

Oh, yeah, Another thing of my. What is this? Social anxiety. Anxiety anxiety. Social.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He said, I don't like to see immediate responses. That's what I like emailing. But when somebody's calling, I'm like, no.

Oh, okay. So that translates into the virtual world.

Yeah, Maybe I. I just got that from. From Kobe, maybe. Because everything was emailing, Right? Email, email and email. And I just got that. Be comfortable emailing people.

You don't want the pressure of having to respond right away. But that's good. Yes. Yeah. Right.

Unless it's something short, like with a friend, where are you? Blah, blah, blah. Something like that.

Okay, so that is an interesting thing. So now it's like, more normal to respond quicker and you're not in person, so you're thinking less about their response to things.

Do you guys notice anything with that?

I have kind of. Because I feel like with my roommates especially, like, they're way more confrontational over text. Like, way more.

And it's like they're scared to do it in person. And I'm a very, like, I'm a very outgoing person. If I have something I need to say to you, I'm gonna say it. I'm gonna be polite about it.

Like, I'm not gonna be rude. And I don't want to argue ever. But, like, they will never, ever bring an argument to my face. They will always text it to me.

And I'm like, can we just talk about this in person? Because it's like, you can take a text message a million different ways. Like, there's a million different tones you can use.

And so, like, they'll be like, no, can we just text about it? No, we're adults.

We're adults.

We're living together. We're moved out of our house, we're going to college. We need to have this discussion in person.

Because what are you going to do when you go out into a real world and you can't talk to your colleague or your boss? Like, you need to be able to do this.

Yes.

Oh, yeah, that's true. I mean, it depends on the person. Who are you interacting with that also?

Yeah.

If I have to tell something important with somebody close, I'll have to face it. But if it's like classmates, co workers, even my boss, like, nah, just email me.

Yeah. Yeah. Huh. This is all very helpful for my.

Yeah. In my case, it depends who I feel more comfortable with.

Okay. Okay.

Yeah.

Interesting.

Do you think that overall, people are back to socializing the way that we used to like, what's changed permanently in our culture because of the pandemic? In terms of socializing, I have noticed

one thing, which I wasn't necessarily. Like, I didn't get this end of it, but I feel like people don't ask other people for their numbers in social settings.

Like, imagine I'm not old enough, but I'm at a bar, okay. And a guy's not gonna come up and ask me for my phone number because they're too scared, you know?

Or just, like, you're out and about with your friends. Like, that just doesn't happen anymore as much as it used to.

Or at least I think because it's like, I was too young to get my number asked for before COVID obviously, but. But, like, I just. I feel like nobody does it anymore, you know? Like, nobody'. Hey, you're really pretty. Like, I want to go out with you.

Like, it just doesn't happen. It's like, it's all online dating apps. It's all, like, virtual, you know? And then it's just, like, people.

But it's also, like, I feel like it's a trust thing, too, because I feel like there's so much going on in the media with, like, serial killers and, like, murderers. And, like, I feel like if a man were to come up to me and be like, hey, what's your number? I'd be like, no, leave me alone.

So. So you recognize that it would be uncomfortable.

Even though the ideal would be that someone is comfortable enough to come up, there's still this lack of trust on the other end.

Yeah. Like, I want it. It could also just be a personal thing. Cause I'm terrified of people, like, killing me. But I don't know if that's another podcast.

Yeah.

But, like, I don't know. It's just, like, I want it to happen, but then it's like, when it does happen, I'm like, ooh, no. And I just walk away, you know?

Right, Right. Well, I think that goes back to the uncomfortableness that we all have about just coming up, talking to people.

You said your roommates won't even have conversations. I think that is really normal. What do you think?

Is that pretty normal for people to interact virtually instead, even when it comes to meeting someone new or people that you know really well and you've got to have a discussion? Do you see, like, a lot more virtual conversations instead of.

I would say yes and no.

Okay.

Because I've seen that, like, I divided into groups, like, the extroverts and the introverts and okay, let's say I've noticed that the extroverts have turned more extroverts. Like, they want us to interact more and more and more, but they interview. They're more isolated, like me. And I've met.

I mean, I realize more of my close friends are more. Another introvert too. And there is one extrovert who is my close friends that sometimes he's very uncomfortable with his too extroverted.

Which is fine. I mean, it's the way he is and he's the way I am. But it's those. We share a lot of things in common, and that's why we are friends.

But sometimes it's like too much like, bro, chill out. But with my introvert friends, it's more. We are more comfortable if we interact more between each other. Like, we are not like introverts anymore.

We are more comfortable to talk and share everything.

So it kind of played off of personalities that already existed. Yes, I made them. Yeah. Okay.

Well, that's what I have seen.

Yeah. Interesting. And then what could we do to change some of these things that we're talking about?

Not that these are bad things necessarily, but making people more comfortable with others coming up. And we talked about this last time. Like you were saying, you're an introvert, but you want to interact more on campus.

So if we're talking about people being less likely to do that because we're used to staying at home, we're used to texting, how can we help people interact more and become more comfortable communicating?

Because I know from the teacher end, I would love to see more people getting involved in stuff here, communicating with me about problems they're having with the class. I would love that because I think that all comes out in the end.

I feel like it all, like, it kind of stems from, like, just.

I don't want to say laziness or getting used to not having to do anything, but I think it stems from that because it's like when Covid happened for me, I didn't do any sports. I laid in bed all day. When I went to my Zoom classes, I would mute myself and go to sleep. Like, I didn't do anything. Right?

Like, I completely failed my freshman year. Right. So, like, it's just kind of like, I feel like it just. People haven't gotten out of that bad habit yet of, hey, you need to social network.

Like, this is your life. Like, you're building yourself up from here. Like, this is your future kind of. You know what I mean?

And, like, I feel like I've kind of helped myself get out of that by just doing it, you know, like in class. I want to say at the beginning of the semester, when we did our group discussions, I wouldn't really talk.

I would kind of just list my answers and then have the next person go. But towards the end, we would run out of stuff to say, and I'd just be like, so how's your guys day going? Guys?

Like that weather, you know, just like, starting to talk about, like, actual stuff or like some girl was talking about asl, because that was like, we were doing that, like, language stuff. And I was like, so, like, why do you like asl? Like, what's so interesting about it for you?

You know, like, you have a family member that's, you know, that has to learn sign language, whatever.

And so it's kind of like a. I just forced myself to do it because it's like, if I didn't force myself to do anything, I would be like an introvert, because at heart, I am. I don't want to talk to anybody. I want to isolate myself in my bed. But I know that that's not healthy for me.

So I have to force myself out of it, like, every once in a while. Like, every once in a couple months. Like, you saw, I didn't come to class for like, three weeks. Yeah, yeah, that was an issue.

But then I forced myself out of it.

Good for you. So what about social networking?

Like, I think that we try and pretend like it's not important because we have our phone to go back to now, and we got comfortable. You're saying. You were saying we got used to not doing so much.

Like.

But social networking is pretty important. Extrovert or introvert, like, it benefits you.

Yeah, unfortunately. Unfortunately, I'm very bad doing social networking. Especially when.

How would I say, I mean, having the right contacts helps you to reach nice, good places, good jobs, good opportunities. And I don't know how to make a nice interaction with just saying, hey, give me your number. You just need you. I just need a good place.

A nice place where you are, or, I don't know, you're gonna help in my curriculum. So I need you. I don't know how to change that or to make. To make it look pretty, like, hey, what's up?

But you don't do it in that way. But look at. You're on a podcast, you have a job. That's your.

Yeah, but it was very. I mean, honestly, I mean, I'm not gonna say I'm Very special, because I'm being honest.

But it was the way when I went to these social networking meetings, everything was kind of like, hey, what's going on? Like, talking. Like cheap talk, small talking, a lot of small talking. But in the end, the main purpose was like, give me your number.

I need your contact. I don't know how to do that, to build that makeup. I don't know what to say.

I mean, the way where I am is because we started talking with you, like, with the professor's interaction.

Yeah.

Because we had something to talk about. Because we had a topic in interest to talk about.

Yes.

And when the way I reached a newspaper was because I had something they needed, and they just kept texting me, like, hey, I need you to do that, because we don't want to.

It wasn't because you were.

No, it was because there was something I had or there was something they needed, something we need to talk about. And that's how I have most of my friends, too, because we. We reach a topic in common to talk about or something like that.

Would you change anything real quick?

Would you change anything, like, immediately in schools to get people to be more outgoing and talkative in class instead of just going right back to their phone?

Yes. I take away, like, don't take away the computers, but do more paper pencil. I love paper pencil so much. Okay. I love it so much. Like, I want to.

And also, also, like, field trips. Take me on some field trips or what? Because then I can, like, actually see things and, like, visualize things and make things more, like.

Because I'm like. Like, I'm like a. I need to do it to learn it. You know what I mean? So, like, make kids dress up and, like, make kids do things.

Weird things in class that pertains to the subject or whatever. Because that. I used to love that stuff in middle school so much.

Okay. Yeah. Because we're all still kid. Kids, really. Right. Would you agree with her, Eric?

Yeah, yeah, I agree too.

Okay.

Very more interactive.

Yeah. Yeah, gotcha.

You have to, like, force the interaction almost. Yeah.

But I don't like forcing stuff. But I.

But no, but it's not like a forcing like now. It's more. There is a. A context where we can socialize with.

Yeah.

Like a field trip, right?

Yes.

Some other. More activities. I mean, the class discussions are good ones.

Yeah, yeah. Because it's like imagine sitting like 30 kids on a bus. They have to sit next to somebody. They have to talk to somebody.

Exactly. All right. I've got good ideas for my next semester. Thanks. Awesome discussion, you guys. We'll see you next time.

See you next time.

You've been listening to the Sociological POV. Thank you for your time. This podcast is featured as a part of LCC Connect, a podcast network developed by Lansing Community College. To listen to this episode on demand or explore other LCC Connect podcasts, visit lccconnect.com. We hope you'll join us again on the Sociological POV, as we explore the good, the bad, and the world around us.