New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo placed the state on "PAUSE" on March 22, 2020, forcing businesses to shut down and many of us to pivot to working from home.
One year later, NBC New York's new "365 Days of COVID. What's Next?" series explores how the coronavirus has shaped our future in the Big Apple and surrounding areas through conversations with experts and industry professionals.
In the second episode, we sat down with a couple of experts to find out how COVID-19 has potentially changed the way we talk to one another, particularly when it comes to an increased use of technology.
"Zoom is good for many things, but it's not good for inspiration. When face to face, we're able to bounce off each other and spark new ideas, and you just can't problem solve on Zoom as well," said psychologist and CUNY professor Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary in an interview with NBC New York.
When it comes to managing our relationship with tech, she suggested placing each type of social interaction in its place and not being bullish when realizing the pros and cons to certain platforms, like video chats and social media.
Taking a step further, Dr. Amanda Fialk, Chief of Clinical Services at The Dorm, described her thoughts on how our deepened reliance on tech could affect our social interactions in the long run.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
"I think that the impact is going to be long-lasting. Social skills and communication skills are like a muscle. When you don't use them, they atrophy, get weaker and you lose them," Dr. Fialk told NBC New York.
Local
Particularly for young adults moving forward, her fear is that some students may lag behind in developing certain communication skills.
Switching gears, this episode also focuses on changes in our priorities during the pandemic. Are we choosing to do what truly makes us happy?
One documentarian traveled to every state nationwide on a mission to answer that question. We caught up with filmmaker Michelle Wax on what she's learned during her journey across America.
ICYMI: Check out the first episode here: What's Next in the Return to Work?
