‘Social’ or ‘physical’ distancing?
| 09 Sep 2020 | 03:34
Getting tested. How to talk about those six feet of space at a time when “we badly need social interaction”?
Dear Editor,
I see that you are also using the meme “social distancing.” I have been studying human behavior and I used to teach middle schoolers. I am deeply concerned about this meme. And I see I’m not alone. So I ask you, could we please join New York City and the World Health Organization in calling it “physical distancing”? Words make our world, and if we allow the social distance meme to stick, it could come to define whole future generations. We so badly need social interaction now. And “social distancing” sounds like exactly the opposite of that, doesn’t it? Besides, it’s simply inaccurate.
Thank you for all you do to bring people together.
Melanie Gold
Greenwood Lake NY