Photo courtesy of Annabelle South

In these lonely times, friends are staying connected through zoom. Pictured is a group of WJ juniors making the most of technology in order to catch up.

Is quarantine really starting to get to you? Have you forgotten what your friends even look like? Do you desperately need human contact? If so, here are some ways to keep in touch without just staring at your friends with nothing to say (because nothing ever happens anymore!).

1. Powerpoint night: If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve seen the tiktoks. People choose really obscure topics and make and present excessively in-depth presentations about them, prompting the question, “was that really necessary?” Yes. Yes it was.
2. Zoom quizlet: Have you ever wanted to find out which of your friends is actually a snake who knows nothing about you? Now’s your chance. Create a quizlet about your life, and see who you need to cut out! I’d say less than 50% accuracy is a dealbreaker. Of course, you could always avoid the drama and just do some nice movie trivia. Whatever floats your boat.
3. Fun apps (roulette, cards against humanity, etc): Just because you can’t have a real sleepover doesn’t mean you can’t do sleepover games. You and your friends can play cards against humanity online, on an objectively sketchy website (they store your IP address! Fun!) or download an app like Photo Roulette or Psych to really stir up some drama.
4. Costume contest: This one is not only a great time, but also a great out of context photo opp (why are there 3 Tiger Kings in this zoom call?). To make it extra fun, have a friend choose the costume for you, then on the night of the contest, have everyone else guess who you are.
5. Paranoia: This one is a classic. Have everyone prepare 5 questions beforehand, then spend the next hour getting increasingly stressed about why people are saying your name so much (or not enough). If you don’t know how to play, google it.

There you have it! 5 ways to keep the friendship magic alive in these trying times. See you in 2021!