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Physical Distance, Not Social Distance
Humans are social creatures. We are not meant to live in isolation.
The term social distancing had good intentions. The idea is for people to stay six feet away from each other to prevent the threat of exposure to Covid-19.
The point is to keep at a distance physically, not socially. The term social distancing seems to imply the need to keep our distance socially which can cause all manner of emotional harm.
Before the stay-at-home order, I was walking out of Walmart and I smiled at an employee standing near the door and said, “Have a nice day!” She was more than six feet away but when I spoke to her, she gave me a look of panic, immediately ducked her chin to her chest and turned away.
The woman acted as if I were threatening her with imminent death.
The term social distancing seems to have instilled a fear of interacting with people even from a distance and adds to the sense of isolation.
A much better term would be physical distancing. It’s important to stay away from people physically, but not emotionally.
People need social contact. Take away hugs and we still have our facial expressions. Our eyes can light up when we see someone from a distance and we can smile.