Coronavirus: we’re washing our hands, we’re working from home and we’ve got toilet paper – now what? Some social problems we may encounter over the next few months and a few ideas to address them:
1) Problem: Travel becomes impossible + national borders solidify. One solution: spend a day ‘visiting’ another place. Look around on Google Maps. Read the news from there (maybe) or local authors. Watch a film set there. Cook a local meal. Write a review on Tripadviser.
2) Problem: Travel becomes impossible + national borders solidify. Another solution: get to know people from other countries. Get back in touch with old acquaintances. Use Chat Roulette to meet random people (maybe) or have refugees teach you @chatterbox (better)
3) Problem: We lose contact with people we love and wish we could see. One solution: have people ‘round’ for dinner over Skype. Cook the same thing if you can.
4) Problem: Social distancing bores you to tears/means you get across each other. One solution: structure your day so you have meaningful stuff to do. Get up, read for an hour, learn a language for half an hour, two hours work, lunch.... whatever, but create good habits.
5) Problem: Small businesses are struggling. One solution: buy ‘gift vouchers’ to be used when things get better, getting them cash now. Spend what you might have spent going out. e.g. I'll try and buy a block of twenty salsa dancing lessons [recommended by multiple people]
6) Problem: staying out of everyone's way doesn't feel like I'm doing anything useful. One solution: contribute whatever you’re good at to the people who need it. Cook some meals for friends who work in medicine or the emergency services. Volunteer (but don't get in the way!)
7) Problem: What the hell is going on? One solution: find some credible sources. @samfr’s list is a great place to start twitter.com/i/lists/123819…
8) Problem: What the hell is going on? Another solution: books about contagion and what happened during the Black Death and Spanish Flu I bought these today lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v40/…
amazon.co.uk/The-Black-Deat…
amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178…
amazon.co.uk/The-Black-Deat…
amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178…
9) Problem: Life still feels pretty empty. One solution: write a diary. Look at Victor Klemperer's minute and incredible account of life in Nazi Germany for inspiration
10) (One I wrote earlier): Problem: Schools are going to close. Possible solutions for teachers improvingteaching.co.uk/2020/03/12/lea…
11) Problem: Bored one year old. Solution: You tell me (please!)
12) Further thought: see also, online book club, film nights etc...
13) Example from my block which someone has stuck by the main doors 
