Since the lockdown and community quarantine last March, finding a diversion to keep people sane from all the anxiety of the COVID-19, gave rise to various gimmicks online. Students who were unable to wrap up their semester, those who were unable to receive their diplomas and celebrate a milestone in their young lives, workers who were forced to work from home and later went on furlough, and many others who stayed home, had to find a way to express themselve in such uncertain times.
Tiktok became a hit during the first few weeks of the ECQ, with most posts on Facebook showing skills in dancing, lip sync and singing, According to the website Influencer Marketing Hub, Tiktok is a ‘short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to create and share 15-second videos, on any topic.’ The craze went global with celebrities joining in the mix.
Then came the Cluster wars right after the city was divided into clusters to highlight the responsibility of barangays to monitor and curb transmission. Via Facebook, hilarious videos crafted by creative minds burst through the local scene, with friendly competition driving the audience to root for their own cluster.
Then came the great community barter trade that ballooned overnight. Anything was bartered and became a convenient way of clearing closets and other bric-a-brac no longer used but someone would love to have. It was a great way of meeting new friends while keeping health protocols (we presume). Along the way, plants, pots and soil were among those that were up for grabs. And soon, it became the trend, with people now showing their plants – vegetables or decorative, on Facebook. This paved way for buying and selling snake plants, monstera and succulents, among others.
This week, a strange phenomenon happened. Most of the men played with FaceApp, turning them into gorgeous female versions of themselves. They must be very secured in their masculinity as some even changed their profile pic, for fun.
We all have a way of coping with this pandemic. And if our hearts are unburdened somehow by doing these things, then let’s go and share our faces and personal data to whoever’s watching.
