Your Pandemic Technology Habits – The New York Times

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A rock musician and a violinist in the chamber orchestra have discovered applications that allow them to play music with others in the distance. One woman in Toronto says she has learned to take courses and order groceries online, but she yearns to be with her nephews.

Last week, I wrote about our five tech-changing pandemic, and I asked On Tech readers to tell us what you love or disgust about a more virtual life.

Some of you reported that you’ve formed new habits you think you might stick with, including online meditation and weekly gatherings with friends via Zoom. Some readers said they were grateful for the virtualized photos but couldn’t wait to go back to the library and hug their family members. (Virtual hugs for you all.)

Thank goodness technology has helped us weather the crisis. Also, just ugh for all of it.

Here are the readers’ perspectives on the technology that has helped them cope. The responses have been slightly edited. And waved to our On Tech editor, Hanna Ingber for sifting through your new habits:

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My 3-and-a-half-year-old nephew lives in Portland, Maine. I read a book online while he watched along with a hard copy in front of him. This year, reading together has strengthened our relationship from afar. He kept calling me, asking me to please read him another story. – Starker White, Rockford, Ill.

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Since I watched Netflix so much that I was bored, I started drawing cartoons highlighting how our lives had changed during the pandemic and sharing them on Instagram. – Irina Blok, San Francisco

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A new habit that I have chosen is to read e-books on my iPad. When the libraries were closed, I had no idea how I would fix it. To be honest, I remember holding a physical book in my hand, turning a page and feeling the satisfaction of closing the book when you finish reading. . I can’t wait to get in and browse the shelves to find the hidden gems! – Elizabeth Price, Seattle

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My new tech habit is a Zoom meditation class. I have never been able to meditate successfully before (monkey mind is at its maximum). But being at home, in the most comfortable chair in front of the fireplace with a cup of coffee, has worked for me. Meditation has been a great tool for me to deal with stress and anxiety during this bad, bad year. – Julie Lindmark, Shoreview, Minn.

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I’ve been geographically distant from friends in my old band for more than 20 years. During the lockout, we discovered that we could use an app called JamKazam to stream music together over the internet in real time. We have been doing that every Sunday for the past 10 months. Kick up! – Gregg Butensky, San Francisco

Since May, I’ve played in about 100 audio chamber-file sessions using Jamulus, having virtually eliminated the delay in audio communication between players even hundreds of miles away. I was able to maintain my social relationship with my musician friends and make some new music friends. Last, but not least, I was encouraged to keep practicing. (There’s nothing like knowing someone having to play a difficult first violin piece the next day.) – Tom Frenkel, Sunnyside, NY

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My new habit is to order groceries online and don’t need to contact pick up! I love it. I am 68 years old and retired and have very poor eyesight. My “shoppers” have successfully completed the task! It’s an improvement that really needs to be maintained. – Patricia Cornett Farley, Bluefield, W.Va.

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I’m 86 years old and haven’t hugged anyone in my family for a year. But I’ve learned how to use Zoom and order groceries online, both of which help me keep myself eating, independent and healthy. I am taking a great course on rebellious Russian authors. I attended services at my synagogue without having to wear snowshoes. I went to art galleries and plays without having to get dressed up or worrying about where to park my car.

However, I still remember going out into the world. Will that ever come back naturally to me? Time is precious. How will I make it ever? Will my grandchildren know me when we can finally be together after a year or more? – Sandra Atlin, Toronto

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My psychiatrist is currently on remote, and I love it. I hope that this will become a long-term option in the future. Not only for me, but also for a lot of people who need mental health care and don’t have direct access. – Laurel Mollison, Jacksonville, Fla.

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I teach ballet to older women. When we had to stop dancing directly to each other, I was motivated to find a way to organize a class of some kind. With an iPhone, my teen tripod and the tech advice from my three grown children and my son-in-law, I was able to quickly learn how to record a ballet class, edit it on laptop, create YouTube channel, upload video. and share it.

The whole learning process is very interesting, as it relates to the skills the kids enjoyed showing me. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from my children and make the most of a year of isolation. – Hallie Blanchard Rehwaldt, Evanston, Sickness.

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I bought Duolingo and studied French, learned Arabic and German. It is something I have built into my schedule every day and have to do at least 20 minutes. It’s my “brain exercise” and keeps me connected with the world despite travel restrictions. Also, I think I inspired my son to choose Beginner French in his high school course registration! – Therese McCauley, St. Paul, Minn.

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I attend an annual girls weekend trip on Lake Gaston with five other women. That had to be canceled last year. We set up a weekly Zoom call on Tuesday nights after we put the kids to bed to talk to each other and talk and laugh, and sometimes cry. It even brings us closer together than usual on the weekends once a year. – Rebecca Antoszewski, City of Ellicott, Md.

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Before we go …

• Streaming isn’t the future of sports at all: The national football federation and television networks need each other to ensure their viewership and fortunes don’t disappear overnight. That’s why NFL games will mostly be broadcast on TV over the next decade under a new contract worth around $ 110 billion (!?!?), My Colleague Kevin Draper writes. In addition, Amazon will produce its own football TV channels for the first time.

• Are schools paying too much for internet access? A former AT&T attorney told The Washington Post that the company had overcharged schools for years under a consumer-sponsored program to cover the internet costs for schools and libraries. (AT&T says it charges the lowest rates required by law.)

  One question: Was the government doing too little to manage the fund, or was the program seriously flawed? Here is a 2003 article about fraud in this same internet fund.

• Humor does not count: As Facebook becomes more in tune with posts praising the violence, computers and its moderators sometimes confuse political satire with dangerous indictments, my colleague Mike Isaac said. There is a long-standing problem that internet companies don’t understand the context of their posts.

Hold this

This is what one Reported the dormitory sounded like. Maybe it was hissing and snoring at the same time?

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