Coronavirus: People share the view from their windows around the world, making it seem 'so small and connected'
Even as many of us are separated because of the coronavirus, people are finding ways to connect with others around the world online.
Joan Ingerman, of Mahwah, N.J., is one of nearly 1 million people from all over the world who’ve joined the Facebook group View from My Window since it was created March 22.
“From the minute I joined it truly made the world seem for a moment so small and connected,” Ingerman, who works for New York Life Insurance in New York City, told Yahoo Life. “Going through these posts it reassures you we are all in this together.”
Ingerman heard about the group from a friend and quickly shared her view: a pair of rainbows. More than 18,000 people liked it within a few days. She also had 1,500 comments on the post, from people in Romania, Vietnam, Spain and beyond.
Many people considered the rainbows to be a sign of hope, which is exactly how the photographer felt. They thanked her for sharing.
“I sent my picture in [Monday] never thinking it would be posted,” Ingerman said. “What a blessing I have now had an opportunity to wish a stranger a happy birthday, tell someone you are praying for their sick child or just saying hello to someone around the world!”
Some other submissions to the group include a serene, snowy patio in Finland; a shimmering seascape in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and a dog named Willa Mae standing in front of a pool in Dallas.
Barbara Duriau, the Amsterdam-based graphic designer and photographer who created the Facebook group, had just that kind of connection in mind when she started the project. She’s always been curious about life in other places, and 20 years go, she even took a trip around the globe. After people were told to stay home because of the coronavirus, Duriau realized that everyone was stuck with a single view. She wondered what others saw when they peered out of their homes.
“I realized that people were feeling bored, frustrated with the confinement, tired of the stream of relentless bad news,” Duriau said, “and they were looking for a window of relief, a glimmer of optimism, a breath of fresh air and the possibility to travel the world without leaving their couch, while they had time in their hands.”
Amanda Fialk, the chief of clinical services at The Dorm in New York City, a mental health treatment community focusing on young adults, explained that social media is, in fact, playing a vital role in helping us feel like part of a group in such an odd time. It’s making up for those connections we’re missing away from screens.
“We no longer have the opportunity to engage in day to day connections and interactions with the outside world such as your local barista, the server at a restaurant, coworkers, etc.,” Fialk said. “These day-to-day interactions are opportunities for connection and distraction which can be very soothing for the mind and body. Additionally, a lot of people are missing the opportunity for physical touch.”
So it’s good for us to at least interact with others online.
“Staying connected while social distancing can help mitigate feelings of anger, depression, anxiety, loneliness and fear,” Fialk said.
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Duriau could tell immediately she had hit on something people needed with her new project. In addition to the rocketing membership, she’s been flooded with submissions. She’s devoting 15 hours a day to approving photos that meet the rules of the group — for instance, no visible people or self-promotion — and declining those that don’t, as well as moderating comments.
“The amount of work involved has gone crazy!” Duriau said. “I started off alone but, after a few days, it was obvious that I wouldn't be able to continue on my own. I asked a friend to help out and then my sister and then another friend and so on. There are now 13 of us managing this [Facebook] group.”
One day after people are allowed to roam around the world again, Duriau hopes to organize a book, an exhibition, a calendar or some other project with all of those beautiful photos.
She’s already received direct messages from people telling her they’ve “helped them see a silver lining to this dark cloud.”
“People have thanked me, told me they feel less alone and more connected. It brings a smile to their face each day to see the new views posted with the stories they tell,” Duriau said. “Through this sharing and connecting, friendships are forming and, for many, it's the first time they have had the opportunity to talk to someone who lives 30,000 kilometers away.”
She said members have already become “a huge family.”
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.
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