Nick Fawcett (devotional and reflective writer)

Social media often gets a bad press, doesn’t it? Those of us of a certain generation have probably been particularly guilty of criticising in on occasions. Which of us, for example, haven’t tutted in frustration as conversations with our children are constantly interrupted by a text or tweet coming through? Which haven’t worried that our offspring are spending far too long online, browsing Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or the like? Yet, despite such reservations, where would we have been these past few weeks without the internet, and everything it makes possible? It’s been a lifeline for so many of us during the coronavirus crisis – a way of accessing information, of ordering online shopping, of watching films and television, of listening to music, or indeed, for some like me, of continuing to work, to the point of actually being busier than ever. And of course, more important than any of these, it affords a way of staying in touch with friends and family. We can chat face to face via FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, Signal, Messenger and a host of other apps – able to see our loved ones almost as though they’re in the same room as us. We can catch up on their news, share concerns, offer support and advice, enjoy their company. We may not be allowed to get physically close to them at the moment, to hug and to hold, but we can talk together, laugh together, share together, nonetheless. Thank goodness for high-speed Broadband, for fibre-optics, and for the many ways the internet is able to enhance our life during these dark and difficult days of isolation. Truly, a reason still, despite everything, to be cheerful.