As the various systems of self-quarantine have been instituted across the U.S. and around the world, many people have found themselves with inordinate amounts of time on their hands. And while initially, the idea of endless free time may have sounded rather attractive, the truth is that what makes weekends and vacations so much fun is that they are a break from the challenges and drudgeries of work. Take away work and suddenly, theres not all that much to enjoy about days melting into nights with little happening in between.

Now to be fair, these arent normal circumstances, and this present situation isnt exactly a vacation. Its like winning a free trip to Disneyland, only to find when you arrive that all the rides have been shut down and the concessions are closed. Its all well and good to be told to stay home from work, but when you get there only to find that theres nowhere to go from there, no fun places you can go out to visit, no friends or family you can hang with well, heck, why not be back at work? And worse, for many this is hardly a vacation when, after a short while, you find out that theres no paycheck coming in, or worse, no job to go back to.

For me and so many others, this has been a time to resort to various vices including, of course, the use of social media. True, there are some folks who to this day, avoid these media, and I get that. In fact, if ever there was a time to see some of the worst aspects of human behavior writ large, it is now, spread throughout our various feeds. Every crank, bully and conspiracy theorist is taking to his (or her) keyboard with a fury these days, spouting off in ways that are in no way helpful when people are anxious and fearful. At a time when the most basic of concerns are in question our health and the health of our loved ones there are those who seek to pursue their own agendas for their own questionable purposes.

And yet, above the din of anger and angst, there has arisen a chorus of voices who simply wont have it, and it is these folks who deserve our attention, our appreciation, and our respect. While we are feeling frightened and insecure, there are some who seek instead to bring us what we most crave: firstly, information, because some of us can never get enough news about the statistics, seeming to believe that by knowing the math of it all, we can figure this madness out, as if it were some complex but solvable calculus equation (yes, I would put myself into this category).

And for others, the social media masters provide something of equal value in the form of distractions. Some post random, campy jokes. Others post humorous photos of their pets. And still others come up with goofy, mindless games and challenges that, in truth, are nothing more than time-wasters. Examples include the suggestion of posting photos of a landscape in which you do not appear, or of posting a photo of yourself aside a photo of your eldest child.

Most recently, a number of challenges have been posted in which one is asked to answer a series of personal (yet irrelevant) questions such as Have you ever acted in a play? Hitchhiked? Won a trophy? And lest we believe that such challenges are American-specific, I recently saw an Italian version of this silliness, including a questionnaire completed by one of my Sicilian cousins. The list varied a bit, however, and included questions such as Have you ever climbed a volcano? (To which, curiously, he answered yes).

Lastly, there is a small genre of spiritual and religious material now manifest across the media. Obviously, this is a time of anxiety and uncertainty. And yet by the very nature of the situation all peoples of faith, regardless of conviction, are forced to face these worries while separated from one another, outside of the traditional frameworks of prayer and mutual support. But again, social media (and various video conference interfaces) allow some to experience a shared spiritual connection. It is not ideal, nor does it supplant a face-to-face experience. But under the present circumstances, it is certainly better than nothing.

As those familiar with 20th century history are aware, the heyday of American cinema coincided with the WWII era. In the pre-television age, the movie house served as both a space of information as well as a center of entertainment, release and distraction from the worries of the day. News of the War was disseminated in twice-weekly newsreels, which were played before each feature film. In this way, the big screen served as a vehicle of common cultural experience and the reification of American identity building.

Today Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms provide the virtual space where, on any given day, information, values and attitudes are developed and then disseminated. Ironically, these media are ideally suited to the present situation, in which we may only connect from afar, may only speak so long as there is a barrier between us and where, (contrary to what I have written elsewhere), sharing a #virtualcoffee or #virtualbeer with a friend is now not only possible, but in fact, preferable to the real thing.

As we continue to shelter in place, it is in our best interests to think about something, anything, but the elephant in the livingroom. And so, for now at least, we turn to the small screen. For like the big screen back in the day, it provides us with a particularly ideal portal through which to access what we most need right now the ability to overcome time and space, and in so doing, to imagine a better tomorrow.

Steven C. Dinero, PhD is the Executive Director of the Carbon County Museum.

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Living on the edge No. 104 | Guest Column - Rawlinstimes