Belgian Government Is Considering Citizens Should Form Social Bubbles Of 10 People For Maximum Drama
We know, you’re all a little quarantine-crazy right now and if there’s one more commercial that begins with “Now, more than ever,” we’re likely going to lose our minds. While we deal and cope with this massive change in our routine life, we can daydream about when our lives will once again have, stability, purpose, and normalcy. We’ve been social distancing for awhile and it’s looking a bit promising that we won’t have to for much longer. Some places, getting back to normal is happening rather quickly as select communities, cities, and states are lifting lockdown restrictions, businesses are reopening, while some in still locked down areas are choosing to ignore protective government rules. And it is not just in the United States where this grand reopening of society is happening. But some places are putting a little twist on breaking out of quarantine.
According to CNN, the Belgian government is looking to ease their people slowly back into socializing with others. The government is considering to direct citizens to form “social bubbles” of up to ten people who will dedicate and vow to one another that they are the only people they will be socializing with in person. And it’s only those ten, no overlapping social bubbles would be allowed, no Venn Diagrams involved, just one circle with ten people. The news network claims “sociologists see [social bubbles] as a logical way to emerge from isolation. If you limit the people you spend time with, you naturally limit the chances of spreading the coronavirus widely.”
Now this begs the question: Are we going to break out of quarantine just to ignite the Myspace Top 8 Feud of 2004?! Flashing back to when social media first became all the rage, Myspace tasked users to rank who were their favorite eight friends and users had to make that public/social knowledge by putting it online for all to see. It was a dilemma that obviously started drama then and perhaps those arguments still continue with people who never left their hometowns.
But what about these ten people, who would you choose? Well, you’ll only get to choose 9 others, but will the choice be made for you? Will those heading back to work ultimately be forced to social bubble with their coworkers? Are you allowed to pull in one of your friends, but then they are stuck with 7 of your coworkers and your partner. Could you trust anyone in your bubble isn’t double bubble dipping?
Setting up the social bubbles sounds like a good idea, but at the end of the day it appears to be a bit a disaster in setting up, managing, and policing. Sure, the idea could definitely be a cure to the anxiety and depression we’re all experiencing being stuck in our homes, wanting to escape. Here we are pondering who would we want in our 10-items or less social bubble, but what happens if friends, family, coworkers don’t desire you to be in their social bubble? Anyone else having playground PTSD reading this? I’m sure we can find Myspace Tom to be in our group? Where is he now anyway?
Well, he seems too busy to be in anyone’s Top 8 or 10-person social bubble.
If social bubbles becomes the new normal, will you participate? Are you willing to commit to your group of friends? coworkers?
Or do you think the idea of social bubbles is a little absurd and we should remain social distancing as we are now?
May the odds ever be in your favor!
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one Instinct Magazine contributor and does not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors.
H/T: CNN
