OUR CRY: “GO AWAY VIRUS”.

How has the pandemic changed our lives? An example? Cell phones and computers were formerly the cause of isolation of adolescents and children who closed in on themselves, to the point of alienating themselves from the rest of the world. In recent months, however, it has been possible to really talk about means of “communication”: through messages or video calls, young people have tried to spend much more time with their peers, keep company, share concerns and distractions, help each other in DAD. Teenagers preferred to spend more time on social media, almost their only chance to connect during the lockdown; the typical social relationships of the age have become social relationships, which – no one would ever have said – would have gladly done without. There was a strong ‘desire to meet again’ in the air and thanks to these expedients we could feel closer, ‘distant but united’ we were facing the pandemic. In recent months there have been other methods to alleviate the distance of friends and family, to share even with strangers the nostalgia for better times, a gesture of friendship, and undoubtedly the so-called “concert in the windows” were the most bizarre. During the Covid emergency we witnessed this phenomenon: the balconies of Italy have turned into real stages. Everyone played with what they had at home, but there was no shortage of real instruments such as trumpets, violas, clarinets, and real talents. Music has played a very important role in alleviating fears related to Covid, and as some banners that crowned Italian balconies say, “Everything will be fine”, it was also very important to increase the hope that everything would end soon. If on the one hand the whole of Italy, united, sang a collective song, what happened within the families? The lockdown has created different situations within each one: quarrels, rifts or, in some cases, reunions within them were consequences of forced coexistence. In some cases some difficult situations have amplified, leading to serious consequences, even tragic ones. Other families, on the other hand, reunited, the members rediscovered each other, they conversed by strengthening their bond, because they had the opportunity to spend more time together, interacting in a collaborative way. Between the school and extracurricular commitments of the youngest and the work of the parents, the moments of confrontation were limited, on the most fortunate occasions, to lunches and dinners: the lockdown instead meant that lunches and dinners were prepared in company, in a cheerful and sharing atmosphere. After the hardest period it was possible to get out of the life-bubble that lasted months, but unfortunately without a return to normal life. What else has changed? Masks have become part of everyday life, they have been a radical change and people have been living with them for a year now. Having a covered nose and mouth makes you pay more attention to your gaze: new relationships are based on eyes, gestures and tone of voice, and although you can’t see a person’s smile, it’s always nice to be able to perceive it.