Opinion:

• AnnMary Raduva is a Year 11 student at St Joseph’s Secondary School. She is an International Eco-Champion Hero and Climate Activist

With the coronavirus continuing to upend familiar rhythms of life, we have become creative in our own bubbles. In the absence of scheduled calendars and school closures, we are turning to social media challenges in droves. Some of these challenges bring together families for choreographed dance routines, others spark the inner farmer in them and some unlock hidden culinary skills – all of these hold the promise of warding off boredom. And for some earning social media users; a moment of online celebrity.

Social media is a gold mine for new and creative trends – some can be very entertaining and some fall in my inspiration category. I also lean on my social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for my climate change campaigns and activism to inform, motivate and inspire followers and supporters with the hope of positive social change.

I also use social media to look out for influencers who also use their voices for the same reasons like mine. Since the closure of school back in March and social distancing in full effect, I have been relying on my gadgets for a lot of reasons – online distance learning, online supplementary worksheets, zoom meetings with my climate justice family, virtual climate activism, catch up with my classmates and to reignite a sense of community that I lost in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many social media users have resorted to the challenges that have kept us entertained and inspired. My Facebook and Instagram push notifications have been swamped with push-up challenges, baby photo challenges, pass the brush / ai seru (Fijian comb) / a biscuit / a fan, dance challenges (Tik Tok) and many more challenges. I have also been tagged in posts and asked to vote on-line and have exchanged recipes with friends – such is the vortex of a curated virtual life during COVID-19.

I have a few Facebook challenges that I personally have on repeat mode and I can spend my screen time watching it. The #SafeHands videos encouraging the 20-second handwashing, #25Days25PushUps to raise awareness on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression that drive people to commit suicide and #DontRushChallenge!

These social media challenges are alternative ways one can keep life interesting while at home – across the globe, people are self-isolating to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, and we are all in the same boat.

I have limited access to my social media pages while balancing studies, home chores and supporting my sisters in their post TC Harold dignity kits charity work and when I’m online, it is usually for motivational postings. There is no shame in curling up with a good book, recreating authentic dishes with the cooking resources in the kitchen or growing a backyard garden.

We started on a small project we have called it a “C19 victory garden” and this would make a really good social media challenge – we have collected empty plastic bottles from the neighbourhood store and have stored empty milk packets for our C19 victory garden. Let us challenge ourselves to a C19 victory garden today!

Feedback: rosi.doviverata@fijisun.com.fj