This is the Worst Time for Social Distancing

By Andy Casiello

I have spent my career focusing on how to foster communication and interaction among people who are physically distant from each other. "Distance learning" is what we used to call it. Distance learning used to be a sleepy little subdivision of higher education, often focused on areas like engineering and health sciences in which professionals needed to continually update their education and credentials.

Today, suddenly, every college and university in the United States, and many around the world, has turned to what we now call "online education" to keep the system of higher education operating.

The term that has been used to describe our current worldwide approach to controlling COVID-19 is "social distancing."

I don't care for that concept. We need social interaction and connection more than ever.

A better term might be "spatial distancing."

We need to be physically separated from our colleagues, our friends, our peers, even our loved ones. But we certainly don't need to be socially distant.

In my field we have worked hard to create environments where people can really connect, where they can hear and see each other, where they can share knowledge, ideas and creativity. These same tools allow us all to interact with our family, our friends, our loved ones.

I had fun on Saturday night at a "Zoom party," hosted by a good friend of mine. Twenty or so people connected, chatted, had a couple of beers, played guitar and laughed with each other. I actually spent time picking out my outfit for the event. It was fantastic.

Later, I took a call from a friend who really needed my support. We used these technologies to cheer each other up and reconnect.

So let's embrace social connection. Some among us are feeling isolated and disconnected. This is no time for social distancing.

Now, more than ever, we need to connect.

Andy Casiello is associate vice president for distance learning at Old Dominion University.