The school holidays finished and schooling became virtual. My classmates were reduced to bobbing heads in a Google classroom. The teacher would log on and chat for twenty or thirty minutes and then we were left to do our own work. At first, I loved this new way of learning, how I could stay in my pyjamas all day and stretch out in bed and have my lesson with my head resting against a pillow. I could do my art history homework with Stranger Things on in the background.
In the beginning, I'd sometimes chat with a friend between lessons on Facetime. Then we all joined Houseparty – a new app where anyone could drop in or out of the chat. It was a new craze and everyone signed up, the novelty of seeing each other's faces unexpectedly, like a surprise party. But as the days and weeks dragged on, we had less and less to say. No one had any news. People stopped showing up to the Houseparty.
I began suffering from digital fatigue. Talking to people onscreen was nothing like talking to people IRL. So I retreated to my sketchbook and felt relieved. I was a natural introvert and isolation was taking away all those things that I didn't enjoy – group time in class, small talk at lunchtime with people I didn't have anything in common with, feeling the pressure to have plans for the weekend. Finally I didn't feel weird or awkward, I was allowed to live just the way I liked it – alone and in my head. Quarantine turned into a blessing. There was no fear of missing out anymore as nothing was happening.
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Repeat After Me
Teen FictionAn impossible love between two young street artists. *** Ivy is a 16 year old street artist who finally has the streets to herself when Melbourne goes into the first COVID lockdown. She meets another street artist, Asten, and can't help falling for...
