Outside of FaceTime, texting, and sending a letter to your friends as a throwback to the good old days, there’s not much interaction that can happen on our devices. Sure, there are social media outlets where we post, comment and like — but are those really the interactions we’re looking for during these tough times? Personally, quarantine has made me find new ways to bond and hang out with my friends and others that I may not be able to see till f*cking June (WHICH SUCKS). Here are a few things I’ve been doing to keep the fun going and the happy hours virtual during this hard time.
- iMessage Games
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I speak from experience, but personally, I’ve had an iPhone since I can remember. One lovely feature, if you have friends who also own Apple devices, is that you can play games right through text! These games include beer pong, paintball, and even the games you used to play on the back of the kid’s menu while you waited for your food to arrive. They’re great for those who love to compete with friends and family, for the middle of slow conversations, or to change up the events of that current day.
- Zoom Parties
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Zoom is not only for school, work and meetings; it can also be used for a great time! From Zoom happy hours to using it to watch videos and films, you can go from one-on-one chats to a large group of 30. Bring the club or movie theatre to your bedroom while still being able to bond with your friends over this long boring social distancing period. Have some dates, explore the web, and if you come up with something new, let me know at @kilasonthelamb on Instagram!
- Multiplayer Games
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Thanks to the nifty-fifty Apple Store, you can search for games to play with others who also have the game on their phone. Another easy way is to search on your Safari or Google Chrome browser and look for games to play with friends during social distancing, and usually, they will pop right up. You can click them and they will take you right to the app store! Some games I’ve been using are Sketchful and Evil Apples. Some games require a certain number of players to get the game started, but they can be fun for making quarantine memories with your pals.
- Virtual Book Club
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As a big reader, I love to share copies or PDFs of books that I have with others because it’s great to converse with people who have similar interests as you. It’s great to hear things other people might have gotten from the book that you haven’t, or just to have a good laugh. Online book clubs are a great way to bond in an educational and positive way. Getting a group of four or more into a group chat, sending a book out every week, and coming together on video chat to discuss will bring old waves into new cultures. Keep your brain stimulated and give yourself something positive to add to your routine during these troubling times.
These things only scratch the surface of possibilities. If you discover new ones, please share them with me on social media!