Thread by @Ali_Madeeh

Getting to know, tolerate and like your family members (again) during #COVIDー19 . A Thread.

One thing that has happened in the last 3 months or so is that all of us have had to spend more time at home. Schools and colleges are closed. Work places were closed initially 1/n

And then after workplaces began opening, online work was (is) being encouraged to minimize exposure to infection. As a result, we have all had to spend more time with spouses, kids, parents and close family. This was even more so in the initial lock down 2/n

And continues to be so. It looks like #COVIDー19 is here to stay so in addition to taking infection precautions, we should all be prepared for this 'new normal'.
Initially it felt a little odd being around family all the time. But I had been working on reducing my screen time 3/n

Anyway so we started out by banning screens at meals, then banning them further during all family interactions. Basically, if two (or more) family members are sitting together, you cannot look at a screen.
It's been amazing. Once you tear yourself away from the screen 4/n

it gradually becomes easier to actually look at people, listen to them and actually interact with them one on one instead of thru a screen. And as all of us are discovering with online work, you cannot replace live human interaction with virtual interaction 5/n

without losing a lot. Technology has just not advanced enough yet to be able to replicate the magic of an actual real life encounter. The atmosphere/ambiance of the meeting place, the subtle body language clues, small things like a person's perfume or cologne, 6/n

even facial expressions, all of these get 'flattened' or totally eliminated in a virtual/online interaction. So while I remain a vigorous proponent of moving work (and education) online (to *some* extent), we are very far away from going completely virtual. Add to this 7/n

the very real infrastructure/technical issues in a developing country like Pakistan (internet connectivity, power breakdowns etc) and virtual work become a chore to be endured rather than pleasure.

So sitting with family, getting to know my teenage kids better, playing games 8/n

Or just chatting with them has become a pleasure after an initial period of adjustment.
Make no mistake, it's harder in some ways also and very easy for all or us to get on each other's nerves so everyone needs to have a place/time to 'de-stress/unwind' on their own 9/n

But on the whole it's been rewarding and enlightening.
Someone asked the other day what they should do if family relationships are 'toxic'. The obvious answer is 'work on them and try to make them less so'. Whether on your own or with a professional. And maybe @ayesha_mian1 10/n

Can help add a helpful suggestion or two.

Bottom line: We are all connected to our biological families in a hundred ways. It will always be helpful to work on, and deepen, our relationships with family (picking favorites is allowed). And getting along with real people 11/n

instead of screens is always a good thing. Remember, there is a real person behind every screen too.

So put that screen down, talk to the people you love and who love you. It helps, a lot. Tagging some 'super docs' who can hopefully add other useful stuff 12/n

@AsmaHumayun @MuradMKhan @aamirjafarey @drhotiana @usmantm @hamdani_usman @awaisaftab @AhmadRehanKhan
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