How the Coronavirus has led GenX to live their best life online with all things virtual: dinner parties, happy hours, concerts, and club life.
It has been a week full of national and local government updates, shut downs, and social distancing mandates to remedy the spread of COVID-19 on our nation. In spite of this, technology has been able to bring the world socially together in the midst of our new norm. This is all thanks to media platforms like Twitter, Zoom, Instagram and Facebook who
are the new beacon of socializing.
Twitter found the hashtag #GenX trending in response to this generation’s ability to remain patient and flexible during the Coronavirus. Clinical Therapist, Belinda Gordon-Battle, MED, MS, LMHC, credits Gen Xers nature of balance and innate ability for change as the rational. “We identified the modifications needed for our home and work spaces. We checked on aging parents. We moved college students back home. We secured food and household items for the nuclear and extended family. We restructured our lives, as needed, to continue to be providers for our households.” Gordon-Battle adds, “It’s the balance...the ability to visualize your destination and simultaneously route and re-route the drive...you can walk there, drive there, catch the bus there...but the final outcome for Gen Xers is to get there. The Coronavirus is a new obstacle on our current path.”
It all about the destination, the end result. The Coronavirus put this mantra to test. From birthday toast and dinners to watch parties and DJ’s spinning, the social life of many haven't been halted. Many have not allowed the quarantine to stop them from getting to their destination, to be social. It hasn't stopped Felecia Hatcher, Author, Speaker, and Tech Queen from gathering with other thought leaders on Zoom on Sunday to breakdown the Netflix mini-series on Madame C.J. Walker, dissect colorism in community, and discuss generational wealth. The group logged in close to 3-hours of actionable solutions.
This new-found era in virtual socializing takes many back to the days of when they were growing up. Poppabugg on Instagram likens time currently spent in real time on Instagram Live streaming Celebrity DJ D-Nice's virtual party as time many Gen Xers can gravitate to, "...wait(ing) for a show to come on or a song to come out. And we all watched and joined in at the same damn time! Pre: on demand! This feels like that!"
DJ D-Nice outfitted in various brims orchestrated his playlist for his virtual party from his picturesque living room in Los Angeles. He began spinning last week while sharing colorful memories of his music industry life with artists at Uptown Records, DJing parties for Puff Daddy, meeting Tupac, and spinning at Atlanta's Club 112 in the 90s. These story interludes were told between mixing songs. This format of story - song – story evolved and is now titled, Homeschool at Club Quarantine. It is hours upon hours of him spinning old school music like Tina Marie, the Jackson 5, LTD, Lenny Kravitz, Jay Z, and James Brown to his virtual jam-packed club.
With this array of music genres catering to many generations of music aficionados, it is no wonder why D-Nice garnered over one-hundred and fifty thousand viewers in a single Instagram Live Stream. There were A-listers, influencers, and politicians who showed up impromptu at online Club Quarantine like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Halle Berry, Steve Harvey, Roland Martin, Deon Cole, Donna Karan, Stephanie Mills, Questlove, Stevie Wonder, Sean Puffy Combs, Rihanna, Steph Curry, Will Smith, Fat Joe, Angie Martinez, La La Anthony, Tisha Campbell, Warren G, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson, Niecy Nash, Michael Rapaport, Spike Lee, Vanessa Williams, Lionel Richie, Missy Elliott, and so many more.
D-Nice reflected on this experience and posted on his Instagram on Monday, “It was a beautiful experience and I’m truly humbled by the amount of love I’ve received. Thank you to everyone that supported me on this journey. Let’s continue to uplift each other as we get thru this dark time.”
Other national celebrities like Anthony Hamilton took to Instagram Live to stream a benefit concert. The Grammy Award singer, writer, and producer entertained over seventy-five thousand viewers on his Instagram Live stream to benefit and bring awareness to the World Health Organization. Hamilton belted out soulful hits like Cool, Best of Me, and Charlene for close to an hour from his home basement accompanied by musicians.
On Facebook, friends were able to get their straight up dance-on at virtual parties. Florida based DJ Bo Weezy who says although he's been DJing a Wednesday virtual day party for the past year, his countless DJ booking cancellations due to social distancing made him take the advice of his father to just "get on the Book (Facebook) and do it. Tough times don't last too long but tough people do."
DJ Bo Weezy garnered over seventy-five thousand views of his Sunday R&B Day Party. It is his attempt to pass the time of many Americans on this mandated quarantine. Social distancing is in no way a sentence to isolation. On the contrary, it has actually reminded people to be social on social media. Here's to the next house party GenX!