Stay 6 Feet Away from Risky Quarantine Behavior

By: Lauren M. Silverman

It’s best to think twice before sending that text. Credit: The Tab

Let’s face it — pretty much everyone has started going a little stir crazy at this point in quarantine. And with millions of restless people walled up in their homes, it’s no surprise that some strange occurrences have been going on in their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Direct Messages (DMs).

Many users have been receiving messages of a romantic and/or sexual nature from seemingly random people with whom they are not well-acquainted. 

While irritating, it seems only natural that bored, single (or cheating) individuals might turn to others for fulfillment. And quarantine is the perfect situation for someone too nervous to make a move in person; not only is it stupid to meet up in our pandemic-stricken world; in some places, it’s illegal.

So you can’t blame these guys for taking the opportunity. They’re making the best of a tough situation. Is it their fault, really, if they’re stuck with little white speech bubbles (or grey, if you’re a dark-mode person) instead of a good old in-person exchange?

Yes and no. If someone was planning on asking you out and is now limited to a FaceTime video or phone call, they just happen to be in an unfortunate situation. 

It all boils down to the intention of the message.  If they’re trying to ask you out because of quarantine, not despite quarantine, that’s a problem. 

It’s also important to consider the content of these messages. Are the DM’ers asking about your experience in quarantine or what you’re up to in general? That might be OK. We’re all bored, so there’s nothing wrong with a little chit chat. 

But tread carefully — some sneaky people use this as a segue into thirstier topics. 

Ultimately, it’s up to you how to handle unexpected DMs from people you’ve barely ever spoken to or never even met. You could end up building a nice relationship with them, or you could just end up frustrated at odd messages you might be getting. 

And if you’re considering sending one of these messages, dubbed “thirst DMs” by social media users, you may want to think twice. 

Quarantine has us feeling like we’re living in an alternate reality. Everything’s closed, everyone’s home, and nothing is happening. But I hate to break it to you; we’re still on Earth, and your actions still have consequences.

What you consider fun and flirty may not be so exciting when you’re sitting in a marketing lecture with three of your DM recipients this fall semester. 

Despite how we feel, this is still the real world, and the Instagram users you’re messaging are real people. So if you don’t want to answer for your quarantine hormones months from now, it may be time to put the phone aside. 

And, as always: unsolicited nude pictures? Don’t send them, ever.