“I think humans are, above all, adaptable.” – Hank Green
2020 has been unprecedented in terms of everything that went down this year, and not in a good way.
Among other things, we added masks to our list of major clothing items, we closed our gates, and many of us don’t even remember what it feels like to go outside normally anymore. COVID-19 has impacted the world in many tremendous(ly bad) ways, with one of the seemingly lesser examples of which, being our current inability to socialize in person. It may seem trivial in the midst of all the chaos out there, but a lack of social interaction eventually takes a toll on all of us.
Sure, we’ve set up countless Zoom meetings and Discord servers to attend classes and chat with the people we love. Maybe some of us who are living in safer regions have even visited friends in secluded places. But at the end of the day, many of us who enjoy going out to events like concerts and conventions find ourselves craving something more to do with our friends, than just sitting down and playing Among Us every night.
Which is why, a few of us from the HerCampus Waseda Chapter have taken it upon ourselves to present you with some of our favorite alternatives. Throughout this past week, we’ve written articles on all the online events that we love, and want you to know about.
What makes online events SPECIAL? I’m not quite sure myself, you’d have to ask Harshita Chivukula, who wrote her article on all the aspects of online events, and why they’re such a wonderful experience. She states her case in saying that online events aren’t any lesser than those held in real life, they’re just a different experience.
On Tuesday, Anna Kono presented us with her article, which all you DC comics fans out there will be glad to know discusses the recent DC FanDome, an inaugural online DC comics event that was recently held on August 22. In the article, she discusses not only the event itself, but also how its success cements itself as a potential blueprint for other potential online events yet to come.
And of course, how could we forget the OGs: concerts and stand-up comedy events. In her article that went up on Wednesday, Ann Tsuchiya took it upon herself to recommend online concerts that we’re all sure to love, and on Thursday, Clairine Tjahjono presented us with a great list of online stand-up comedy events.
Last but certainly not least, Tianyi Li discusses online interculture communication events held at Waseda University – events where you can freely talk to others and also engage in language learning!
At the end of the day, online events will never meet the expectations that we have for real-life concerts and conventions and stand-up comedy gigs and all, but not for lack of trying. It’s an odd year, and I find it amazing that instead of the social world being put on hiatus, people have come together and created something that’s beautiful and different. Online events will never meet the expectations that we have for real-life events, simply because they are two completely different things.
So while we wait for our old normal to resume, let’s take it upon ourselves to find some new things to enjoy.